The project for the small hydropower plant Hochfeldbach in Carinthia, close to the border to Salzburg, was successfully completed at the end of 2022 and has been supplying clean electricity to the public grid since then. This eco-power plant, which was built at the foot of the impressive pillars of the Tauern highway in the Liesertal valley, took around eight months to build. The new power plant uses the water of the Hochfeldbach, a tributary of the Lieser on the east side, to generate sustainable energy.
One of the biggest challenges of this project was laying the tensile and shear protection pipeline, which consists entirely of high-quality cast iron pipes from Tiroler Rohre GmbH (TRM). The challenging topography of the terrain and the closeness to the busy Tauern highway demanded a stable and reliable pipeline system. Hillsides of up to 45 degrees and the construction of a separate access route to the water intake presented the experienced Fürstauer Bau team with challenging tasks.
TRM ductile iron pipes with a dimension of DN 500 proved to be the ideal choice for this project. Their robustness and stability made them the perfect solution for laying in rough, uphill terrain, which was also heavily influenced by highway structures.
The use of pipes with a cement-mortar coating was essential, especially in the area affected by the highway, in order to prevent corrosion caused by the high salt load and thus ensure the longevity of the pipeline.
Despite all the challenges, the project was completed in a short space of time. The approximately 780 meter long pipeline was successfully laid by Fürstauer Bau, providing the basis for efficient hydropower in the new power plant. A 4-jets Pelton turbine converts the water power into electricity. The Hochfeldbach power plant now generates around 1 GWh of clean electricity per year, enough to supply around 300 households in Carinthia with renewable energy.
The hydropower plant Hochfeldbach is another example of the successful use of renewable energies in Austria and shows how sustainable energy projects can be realized through innovative technology, high-quality products and good cooperation.
Safe water supply.
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