Austrian Railway Company Announces Construction of 130-Megawatt Pumped-Storage Hydropower Station

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Austrian Railway Company ÖBB AG (Vienna, Austria) owns and operates various power stations in Austria that generate electricity for the rail industry. Recently, the company announced the construction of an additional pumped-storage hydropower station in the Austrian Alps. The Tauernmoos hydro station will generate 130 megawatts (MW) and will be located between the two storage lakes Weißsee and Tauernmoossee in the Austrian county of Tyrol.

The two 65-MW turbines and the rest of the equipment will be installed underground to reduce environmental impact. At the moment, ÖBB AG is awaiting environmental approval. Construction will start in 2011, with completion planned for 2014. The investment for the project is about $250 million.

The project was delayed a year because of difficulties with the generators. Initially, the company had planned to install two 16.7-hertz traction power generators instead of the common 50-hertz generators used for the public grid. This plan was cancelled for financial reasons. The traction power generators are twice as big as the more commonly used generators, necessitating expansion of the power cavern and access roads. In addition, the 16.7-hertz generators are more expensive. As a result, it was decided to use the more common 50-hertz generators and install a frequency converter in the valley.

ÖBB AG owns and operates ten hydropower stations and five frequency converter plants. The company generates about 30% of its annual requirements, with the rest acquired from the public grid.

View Plant Profile - 1089329
View Project Report - 200004724

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news.