Railway looks to increase efficiency of power plants

ÖBB hydropower expansion adds a three-mile water duct, catchments, hydraulic lines and a pump station to boost Spullersee storage, replace penstocks, and lift annual output to 200 GWh, supporting turbines and frequency converters.

Austrian railway company ÖBB AG generates electricity for its train services at various power stations throughout Austria. Recently, the company announced plans to increase the efficiency of its Klostertal power plant group, which consists of two hydropower stations: the 20-megawatt (MW) Braz power station and the 36-MW Spullersee station, both located in the Austrian county of Voralberg.

The expansion will consist of the construction of a three-mile water duct, additional water catchments, hydraulic lines and a pump station. These new installations will catch about 25 million cubic meters of water from three small mountain rivers to increase the Spullersee storage lake. The annual energy output of the power plant group will increase 33.3% from 150 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to 200 GWh. At the same time, the 80-year-old penstocks from the Spullersee power station will be replaced. ÖBB is planning to invest about $45 million in the expansion project, while Verbund's 88 MW hydropower project advances on the Inn River as well.

Construction works are expected to be finished by the end of 2013, as Swiss hydropower revitalization efforts underscore regional momentum.

The Spullersee power station became operational in 1925, with three 36-MW turbines that supplied electricity to the railway line in the valley. In 1953, the Braz power station went operational with three turbines that generated 20 MW.

ÖBB is planning the construction of the 130-MW pumped storage Tauernmoos hydropower station, paralleling Eskom's pumped storage projects in South Africa. Construction is scheduled to start in 2011, with completion set for 2014. The investment for the project is about $250 million.

ÖBB AG owns and operates 10 hydropower stations and five frequency converter plants. The company generates about 30% of its annual power requirements, while the rest is acquired from the public grid.

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