VERBUND storage power plants – hydropower on demand
Within but a few minutes, storage power plants unfold their power, providing our electricity grid with an additional surge to cover peak load.
How do storage power plants work?
The basic equipment of each storage power plant is a reservoir or storage basin. In the high mountains of the Alps – in valleys below a barrier structure – reservoirs form through the damming of melting snow and rainwater. In lower regions, the storage basins are usually fed by a channel from a nearby river. The dammed water shoots down through penstocks at more than 100 km/h and drives the turbines in the power house at the bottom. The generator converts the rotational movement this produces into electrical current.
Safety of the dams
The safety of the dams is an important topic. VERBUND dams are amongst the best monitored structures in Austria. The key to safety lies in a rugged construction, the comprehensive surveillance of each plant by automatic sensors and having company staff on site.