The Badger Hydro plant, based in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, combines hydraulic capacity of the 105-year old “old” Badger plant and the 85-year old new badger plant into a new single 2-unit plant, resulting in more capacity than the previous two plants combined. Voith was heavily involved in the project, as Voith Hydro supplied two Kaplan turbines and automation equipment, while Voith Turbo provided the speed increasers.  

“The Badger Hydro Plant is exciting not only for Kaukauna Utilities and its customers, it’s one of Voith’s flagship projects,” said Voith chief operating officer at Voith Hydro York, Stan Kocon. “The Badger plant seamlessly combines technology from two of Voith’s divisions in a power plant that will provide additional clean and renewable power to Kaukauna Utilities customers for generations to come.”

According to Kocon, the Badger Hydro Plant is indicative of much of the current focus of the U.S. hydropower industry. Many utilities and developers are retrofitting existing hydropower plants such as Badger to increase output, or turning to the United States’ approximately 80,000 non-powered dams and other water infrastructure to add hydropower production. Voith Hydro is involved with many of these projects, including the expansion of PPL Generation's Holtwood Hydroelectric Facility in Pennsylvania, AMP’s Ohio River Projects, and Missouri River Energy Services’ Red Rock Hydroelectric Project in Iowa.

The 7MW Badger Hydro plant has a 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.