Case Study: Twin Falls Hydro Generation Facility

Twin Falls Hydro Generation Facility

One of the newest and most efficient hydroelectric generation facilities in WEC Energy Group’s portfolio is protected with Polyset’s WB HRZS^® Single Coat System.

Located on the Menominee River system that borders Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Twin Falls hydro generation facility was reconstructed and commissioned for operation in 2016. Replacing the original powerhouse that was built in 1912, this new low-profile, state-of-the-art facility is housed with the latest technologies providing some of the most effective and efficient hydroelectric generation capability available today.

“We started working with We Energies in 2011 when we requested a trial to paint one new tainter gate at their White Rapids Project site,” says Earl Ramlow, Polyset Product Manager, Protective Coatings. “The first gate installed in 2011 with our WB HRZS^® Single Coat System still looks the same today as the day it was put into service. That’s just a great testament to the product’s level and longevity of corrosion protection. And it was also the start of our partnership with We Energies.”

Once We Energies engineers saw the superior corrosion protection of our WB HRZS^® Single Coat System it was an obvious decision to once again partner with Polyset for coatings at the Twin Falls Hydro Project and several other hydro sites owned by We Energies.

“We knew the type of protection the Twin Falls facility needed,” says Todd Jastremski, Asset Manager Hydro Operations for We Energies. “Based on the multi-year performance we saw of WB HRZS^® on other projects in very difficult environments, we knew WB HRZS^® would be a successful choice for Twin Falls.”

Today, you can find our WB HRZS^® Single Coat System on many projects associated with We Energies, including penstocks, the interior of draft tubes, underwater gates, and other related steel structural members.

WB HRZS^® Single Coat System

WB HRZS^® is the previously NASA-patented coating technology IC 531. Polyset is the original, commercial manufacturer of this product. It is a 100% WaterBorne, High Ratio Zinc Silicate.