Large-scale contracts awarded to Austrian companies

Companies form syndicate
VERBUND-Austrian Hydro Power AG (AHP) is currently in the process of implementing the largest building project in the federal province of Salzburg: Within a construction period of six years, a new pumped storage power plant will be installed by 2012, which, at 833 megawatt from previously 353 megawatt, will more than double the output capacity of the Kaprun power plant group. Following the invitation of tenders, the first large-scale contracts with an investment volume of more than 100 million Euro were granted to the companies of Salzburg Baugesellschaft G. Hinteregger & Söhne m.b.H., Östu-Stettin Hoch- und Tiefbau GmbH (Leoben), Porr Tunnelbau GmbH (Vienna), and Swietelsky Bau Tunnelbau GmbH (Graz). These companies have formed a syndicate, with the technological management being in the hands of Hinteregger & Söhne and the commercial management the responsibility of Porr Tunnelbau.

Preparatory work already begun in spring
The first construction phase was begun on 8 March 2006 and comprises the preparatory measures. This involves preparation of the construction site, opening up of the gate for the new Lärchwand tunnel (900 meters long), initiation of first building measures for the construction of the new Schrahnbach tunnel (3.5 kilometres long) as well as for the cross-section enlargement of the existing Lärchwand funicular (1.2 kilometres) in order to be able to conduct the heavy transports that will be necessary in due course. The explosions for the expansion of the existing Lärchwand tunnel were already started in mid April. The inset for the Schrahnbach tunnel was implemented at the end of April. Upon completion, the construction vehicles will be able to reach the construction site near the Limberg power house via a more than five kilometre tunnel system.

High value attributed to nature conservation
"Even in the construction planning phase of this project, considerable importance was given to the issue of nature protection. So, for example, throughout the entire building phase, only modern trucks are used with appropriate noise and exhaust reduction systems," Limberg II project manager Erich Wagner comments.