Construction |
Above: The mammoth construction project at Kühtai will add a third reservoir and an additional pumped storage power facility that will supply 216 million kwh of electricity annually for Austria
is truly unique and where Volvo CE is leading the
way,” the project manager added. Every week, 30-40 articulated haulers transport 25
tons of bentonite each – a swellable clay material – that is mixed with the core material before being delivered around the site. Due to the one-way operation, the routes are getting longer and so the machine fleet is being changed, with more A60 haulers and another large EC950F excavator to help ensure installation of the material on time.
High-altitude The Kühtai power plant will be built underground
Above: A Volvo L350H fitted with snow chains
Below: The Volvo A25’s maneuverability makes it ideal for tunnelling works
in a rock cavern designed for pumped storage operation and will be powered by two Flensi turbines generating up to 190MW of electricity. Construction involves several tasks. Underground, this includes the construction of an 8km network of supply access tunnels that are being drilled and blasted, as well as a 25.5-km bypass tunnel with a diameter of 4.20m. This is being excavated using an 800-tonne tunnel boring machine. “This is a gravity tunnel in which water is drawn in via
six water intakes at a rate of up to 13.5 cubic meters per second,” explains Wetzlinger. The bypass pipeline will open new catchment areas in the central and eastern Öztal valley and the rear section of the Stubaital valley, delivering water into the new Kühtai reservoir. The reservoir itself will have a storage volume of 31 million cubic meters and will fill up two-and-a-half times a year, mainly in the Spring and Autumn. “In order to fill the reservoir, a 7 million cubic metre dam, with a crest length of 500 meters and height of 106 meters, is being constructed. All material extracted from the underground area is recycled, with loose rock installed in the dam. In addition, we have to blast 2.2 million cubic meters of rock – that’s around 50–60,000
34 | December 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
cubic meters a week. We’re using 50 tons of explosives per week and around 16,000 liters of diesel per day.” Despite the high altitude, the Volvo EC950F is
exceeding fuel efficiency expectations, using 50 to 55 liters per day of diesel in full operating mode. “We didn’t believe it at the start, and thought the machine would consume more,” says Wetzlinger. “But Ascendum’s predictions proved correct.” Ascendum is a valued partner on the project. “It’s not just about the price and fuel, but also about the service costs,” says Wetzlinger. “We need reliability and value for money. There are some special machines in use at Kühtai that are not commonplace, so you need experts on-hand if something needs to be fixed quickly. With its large, broad network, Ascendum can have the right people and spare parts on site within a short time.” The development of Kühtai 2 is a monumental effort, harnessing both human ingenuity and machine power to provide sustainable energy for Austria’s future. It’s also a testament to the importance of strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.
Above: Peter Wetzlinger, Project Manager at Swietelsky is overseeing the €425 million ARGE part of the construction initiative
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