Happy end for a marathon project - the Stalleralmbach hydropower plant goes into operation
The first planning work for a new hydroelectric power project in the Defereggen valley, not far from the Austrian-Italian border, was already started in 2004. In autumn 2020, the time had come for the construction project of the operator and investor Armin Ladstätter to be implemented.
Within less than a year, the construction of the power plant with an expansion capacity of about 1.1 MW and a regular working capacity of 4-5 GWh was completed and has been reliably supplying green electricity ever since. This covers a significant part of the electricity consumption in the sparsely populated Defereggen valley.
Approximately 2 km of DN 500, manufactured Tiroler Rohre GmbH (TRM) ductile iron pressure pipes with a nominal pressure of 29 bar were laid. The pipes were partly delivered by helicopter and due to the frozen ground, the pipe route had to be blasted or bevelled over long stretches. The ductile iron pipe from TRM was able to show its advantages in this demanding project in the alpine terrain.
Thanks to the simple and fast installation, the tight schedule was adhered to and with a comparatively narrow trench, it was possible to work independently of the weather.
The incredibly robust TRM pipe with cement mortar coating (ZMU) made it possible to master the difficult terrain. Maximum stability was ensured by the VRS-T connection, which was designed to be shear- and tension-resistant.
TRM pipes made of ductile iron make a further contribution to improving sustainability. Production is based on a true circular economy that focuses on the efficient and careful use of resources.