Breaking of the ground for "Limberg II" in Kaprun
VERBUND, Austria’s leading electricity company, is officially starting construction of the new peak current power plant of Limberg II.
Today, Tuesday, is the ground-breaking ceremony in the lower Kaprun Valley for the 365 million Euro pumped storage power plant. This will more than double the capacity of the Kaprun power plant group and better secure the power supply of Austria as of 2012. Then, 10% of the grid power required by this country during consumption peaks will come from Kaprun.
VERBUND General Director Hand Haider: "We at VERBUND, Austria's top company, are particularly happy that mainly Austrian companies will be working at what is currently the largest structure in the Federal State of Salzburg. So far, orders valued at more than Euro 230 million have been placed with G. Hinteregger & Söhne in Salzburg, Östu-Stettin in Leoben, Porr Tunnelbau in Vienna, Swietelsky Bau in Graz, Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation in St. Pölten, VA Technologie in Linz, VAM Anlagentechnik & Montagen in Wels or Pöyry Energy in Vienna/Salzburg, including others.
Not only large Austrian companies will be showing off their skills once again at "Limberg II". There are also local companies involved such as the earth moving company Keil from Zell/See or the locksmith Jäger from Kaprun.
The builder of "Limberg II" is the VERBUND-Austrian Hydro Power AG (AHP). AHP CEO Herbert Schröfelbauer: "The pumped storage power plant will increase the capacity of the Kaprun power plant group from a current value of 353 megawatt to 833 megawatt. The special feature of this power plant is the fact that it is very compatible to the landscape - i.e. it is completely subterranean in caverns. After completion, only an access gate to the machinery caverns will be seen from the outside. The Salzburg Institute for Ecology is responsible for the ecological construction supervision.
AHP Management Director Michael Amerer emphases the high local and regional added value of "Limberg II". "The annual effect on employment means there will be an additional 800 jobs." Currently, 90 employees from the construction companies are working on opening the construction site. In addition, two new tunnels will be built and an existing one enlarged so that a 5.5 km tunnel system will be developed. In May 2007, construction of the actual power plant will begin. Then, by December 2008, there will be around 250 workers working at the construction site at peak times.