Abstract: Lijiaxia hydropower station, located on the upper Yellow mainstream, has been in operation for over 15 years. However, a number of cracks appeared on the turbine runners, which has caused a serious effect on the operation efficiency, inefficient water use, and a dramatic reduction in the overall economic efficiency of this station. In this work, the weighted factors of turbine operation have been studied for the station to improve its runner operation and explore measures of runner retrofitting. We developed a statistics model for turbine operation, an improved version of this model using a comprehensive efficiency coefficient, and a ten-day electric energy balance model using turbine weighted factors. All the three models were used to examine three typical operation scenarios selected according to the long series of in-situ measurements at the station in the period of 2000-2014. The improved statistics model is recommended by comparison of the simulation results, and an order of operation efficiency priority for all the units of this hydropower station was obtained. For the schemes of turbine runner retrofitting, expected weighted factors, water level, and gains in electricity output were calculated. The results of this study are useful to economic operation of hydropower stations and turbine runner retrofitting.