Construction |
Machines help fuel green power
Kühtai 2 is a hydroelectric power plant that is being constructed in the Kühtai valley in Austria. Once complete in 2026, it will supply over 200 million kwh of renewable energy to the Austrian grid. At the heart of this mammoth project are machines from Volvo Construction Equipment
Above: A brand new Volvo EC950F – Volvo CE’s largest crawler excavator – is the flagship of the excavator fleet at Kühtai
PERCHED 2000M ABOVE SEA level in the municipality of Silz in the Tyrolean Stubai Alps in Austria, Kühtai 2 is a significant undertaking by the Austrian utility company, Tiroler Wasserkraft (TIWAG) AG, with an estimated investment of €1 billion. This expansion of the existing Sellrain-Silz series of power plants includes adding a third reservoir and an additional pumped storage power facility. It will generate around 216 million kwh of electricity annually for the people of Austria, bolstering the existing 531 million kwh output and supporting Austria’s energy transition journey. As TIWAG puts it, “this is not a project for TIWAG, but one for everyone.”
Construction management company, Swietelsky, is one of three companies working on the project, alongside Jäger Bau and Bodner, as part of a construction consortium and is taking the technical lead. Project Manager, Peter Wetzlinger, is overseeing the €425 million ARGE portion of the initiative. “A project like this is not an everyday occurrence, and the human factor is also very important to me,” Wetzlinger says. “We are building it with people, and at the end of the day, it should serve people for a long
time. “I’ve been here for four years now, and I’m staying until the end. And I’m not alone. It takes a lot of cogs to make the project work. Around 620 people from over ten countries work here, it’s like a little village with its own canteen. We are all far from home, so the work and social environment are important, and you also have to like it. It’s not just about the money, it’s about being part of the team on a project like this.”
Demanding work The construction site is a hive of activity, with around
200 machines at work, of which more than 60 are from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE). A brand-new Volvo EC950F is the flagship of the excavator fleet. Volvo CE’s largest crawler excavator, this 90-tonne giant is the first of its kind in Austria, with a second set to join the project in Kühtai soon. “We simulated loading cycles, and this resulted in a demand of between 90 and 100 tons,” explains Wetzlinger. “The market for this category of machine is quite large, but for us the choice was limited by who we wanted to partner with. We need partners we can trust. Volvo CE dealer, Ascendum, is a good partner with the quality we are used to.”
Above: The perfect pair for maximum load cycles - the Volvo EC950F and Volvo A60H
Above: Volvo CE’s powerful articulated haulers make light work of the harsh conditions and rough terrain at more than 2000 metres above sea level
Above: A dramatic and tough landscape in which to work 32 | December 2024 |
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