7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

1/13

HydropowerPlant Kops IIHydropower

Plant Kops IIThe new pump storage plant

of Vorarlberger Illwerke AGin Gaschurn-Partenen

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

2/13

The Hydropower Plant Kops II is located parallel to the existing Kops

Plant I in the Inner Montafon. The complete power plant in the munici-

pal territory of Gaschurn extends from Kops (1,800 m) over Tafamunt

(1,700 m) into the valley to Rifa (1,000 m) between the tourist centres

Gaschurn and Partenen.

All parts of the plant, including the power house, are situated inside

the mountain. Only the 220 kV switching station executed with space

saving indoor SF6technology and access roads and gates to the facilities

situated inside the mountain are visible.

March 20th, 2003 Policy decision to build the

Hydropower Plant Kops II

April 2003 Initiation of preliminary examination

procedure for environmental impact

assessment (EIA)

September 2003 Application for implementation of an

environmental impact assessment (EIA)

March 2004 Verbal permission request procedure

pursuant to the law on the environmental

impact assessment

July 2004 Definitive decision by the supervisory board

of Illwerke to proceed with construction

August 2004 Building permit becomes legally valid

September 2004 Start of construction

End of 2007/ Planned commissioning of the first

beginning 2008 set of machines

June 2008 Commissioning of machines 2 and 3

Construction time 3.5 years

Sum invested approx. EUR 360 million

The Vorarlberger Illwerke AG (Illwerke) operate in total nine Alpine Hy-

droelectric Power Plants in the most western part of Austria in Vorarl-

berg (Montafon and Walgau) . The first power plant, the Vermunt plant

started operation in 1930. In the course of different extension programs

a compound group of Hydroelectric Power Plants and water resources

was implemented until 1984.

The liberalization of the electricity market and the rapid development

of wind energy with wind-forces that cannot be influenced have led

to an increasing demand for peak and control energy as well as for the

possibility of a pump storage in large Alpine reservoirs. Illwerke respon-

ded to this demand by developing and constructing the highly efficient

pump storage Power Plant Kops II.

In March 2003 the supervisory boards of the Illwerke made the policy

decision to build Hydropower Plant Kops II into the existing Upper Ill

Lner Reservoir scheme ( = power plants in the Montafon) for the ge-

neration of highly efficient peak and control energy. Hydropower Plant

Kops II increases the capacity of Illwerke in pumping mode by 85% and

in turbine operation by 36%. No additional water resources are needed,

as Kops II uses the existing Kops Reservoir as upper reservoir and the

existing balancing reservoir Rifa as lower reservoir.

HYDROPOWER PLANT KOPS II3 GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION3

Important benefits and synergies

of Hydropower Plant Kops II:

n 450 MW additional turbine and pump capacity for flexible

supply of peak and control energy for the European grid

n Expansion of combined use of other renewable sources of

energy, e.g. wind energy

n Strong positioning in the liberalized electricity market

n Increase in the economic viability of the entire Upper Ill

Lner Reservoir hydroelectric scheme

n Value-added activities and economic boost for the Province

of Vorarlberg and the Montafon

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

3/13

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

4/13

The Hydropower Plant Kops II is a pump storage plant that can be used

to regulate the grid in turbine mode as well as in pump mode and is

located parallel to Hydropower Plant Kops I.

System components

nIntake / outlet structures in Kops Reservoir

n Valve chamber and bypass shaft

n Pressure tunnel (Versal tunnel II)

n Two chamber surge tank with inclined shaft and 3 throttles

nPressure shaft

n High-head manifold piping

n Underground power house

- machine cavern- 3 hydroelectric generating sets with Pelton turbine,

motor generator, clutch and storage pump

- transformer cavern

nTailwater system

- 3 compressed air surge chambers

- tailrace to Rifa balancing reservoir

- two chamber trailrace surge tank

- low pressure manifold pipes

n Outlet / intake structures in Rifa balancing reservoir

n 220-kV-SF6switching station

THE TECHNOLOGY3

surge tank pressure tunnel

pressure shaft

gallery Tafamunt

tailrace tunnel

underground power house

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

5/13

pressure tunnel

Headrace

Pressure tunnel Versal tunnel II

The pressure tunnel runs parallel to the existing pressure tunnel of Hy-

dropower Plant Kops I and was excavated mechanically by a double-

shield tunnel boring machine. The favourable geological and hydrogeo-

logical conditions permitted a lining of the 5.5 km long pressure tunnel

with precast concrete elements. This type of lining is a construction me-

thod perfectly adapted to the high-alpine location of the construction

site.

Surge tank Aussertafamunt

With control procedures, e.g. changing from turbine into pump opera-

tion, the water flow must abruptly be slowed down in the tunnel and

has to be accelerated into the opposite direction. In order to avoid high

dynamic pressures that would have an additional effect upon the head

THE TECHNOLOGY3

n Length 5,552 m

n Internal diameter 4.90 m

n Longitudinal gradient 0.4 %

race system, certain amounts of water can get out towards the surge

tank. The surge tank is sort of an equalizing reservoir reducing the pres-

sure fluctuations and/or limiting the high dynamic pressures in the en-

tire headwater.

The surge tank Aussertafamunt is located in the transition area from thepressure tunnel to the pressure shaft and consists of a lower chamber

with two connections to the pressure tunnel, an inclined shaft with a

throttle in its lower end, as well as of an upper chamber and a ventilati-

on shaft leading into the access tunnel Tafamunt.

n Lower chamber total length 250 m

internal diameter 7.00 m

n Inclined shaft length 185 m

internal diameter 5.10 m

longitudinal gradient 49

n Upper chamber length 235 m

internal diameter 6.20 m

discharge shaftsurge tank

galleryOberwald

valve chamber

galleryTafamunt

pressure shaft

Kops Reservoir

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

6/13

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

7/13

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

8/13

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

9/13

Storage pumps can only be used if operated with 100% load. With a

surplus of power in the grid the adaptation to the fluctuations have to

be compensated by a controllable pump. In order to be able to assure a

power control also in pump mode, the principle of the hydraulic short-

circuit is used in Hydropower Plant Kops II. The difference between the

steady take of full load of the pump and the lesser surplus of power in the

grid is compensated by the simultaneous operation of the turbines to the

necessary extent. Since the turbine is assuring a good control ability in the

complete range, a good control ability will also be given in pump mode.

In Hydropower Plant Kops II the time for changing between turbine ope-

ration and pump mode will be short in accordance with the requests of

the grid.

In order to satisfy the market demands, Hydropower Plant Kops II has a

full range of control ability of +/- 100 % in turbine operation and in pump

mode.

Power control should as much as possible be provided in a range between

0 % and 100 % in turbine operation as well as in pump mode in order to

cover the deviation of the real and the predicted power demand in the

grid.

Pelton turbines are used because they guarantee a highest possible effi-

ciency for minor power demands and/or power surplus in the grid and an

optimal control ability. To this effect the pump and the turbine must be

separated, a clutch must be provided and the elements have to be arran-

ged on a machine axis together with the motor generator.

POWER CONTROL

IN PUMPING MODE3

Example of an hydraulic short-circuit

with surplus of power in the grid 100 MW, pump capacity 150 MW

G/M generator/motorruns with 100 MW

T turbine(Pelton with Hydropower Plant Kops II)

supplies additional 50 MW

P pump receives 150 MW

Q water flow

Pgrid = 100 MW surplus

balancing reservoir Rifa

Q with 100 MWQ with 50 MW

Q with 150 MWQ with 150 MW

150 MW

Q with 100 MW

Kops Reservoir

50 MW

100 MW G/M

T

P

Q with 50 MW

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

10/13

In general, the geological conditions were favourable for the construc-

tion of the power plant, in several sections however, difficult geological

conditions were encountered, as anticipated.

The facilities of Hydropower Plant Kops II are located completely in the

rock series consisting of Silvretta crystalline. These series consist for the

most part in solid and hard rock as e.g. amphibolite, hornblende gneiss

and other types of gneiss. Other less solid mica-schists have also been

encountered.

The findings made during the construction of Hydropower Plant Kops I

during the sixties and during the construction of the exploration tunnel

excavated in the year 2003 in the area of the actual transformer and

machine cavern, as well as further exploration measures were essential.

Never before, such high ecological demands had to be satisfied in Vor-

arlberg for a construction project, as with Hydropower Plant Kops II. It

was the first time an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was initi-

ated and could be closed positively. Such a procedure guarantees that

during the construction and the operation of Hydropower Plant Kops II

man or nature are spared to the highest possible degree.

More than 500 regulations assure that the construction will be made in

an environmentally friendly way and that also the later operation will

be technically safe and ecological.

For the operation of Hydropower Plant Kops II no additional natural

available water supply will be needed. The plant uses the Kops Reser-

voir as headwater reservoir, the existing balancing reservoir Rifa in Par-

tenen is used as tailrace reservoir and the energy is transported using

an existing high-voltage line.

Concerning the operation of the power plant, Illwerke voluntarily adop-

ted an environmental management system pursuant to ISO 14000.

GEOLOGY3 ENVIRONMENT3

underground powerhouse

balancing reservoirRifa

pressure shaftl = 1.1 km

surge tankdischarge shaft withreservoir outlet works

valve chamber

Kops Reservoir

intake structure

pressure tunnell = 5.5 km

Legend

talus material

alluvium

moraine

schist gneiss and migmatite gneiss

mica-schist

amphibolite and hornblende gneiss

granite- gneiss and aplite gneiss

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

11/13

Hydropower Plant layout ofVorarlberger Illwerke AG

Tyrol

Piz Buin3.312 m

Vorarlberg

Brand glaciers

Lnersee Reservoir

HydropowerPlant Walgau

Bludenz

Walgau

Montafon Schruns

Paznaun

Ischgl Galtr

Partenen

source of Ill

Silvretta Reservoir

Hydropower PlantObervermunt

VermuntReservoir

Kops Reservoir

Pumping StationKleinvermunt Hydropower

Plant Kops I

HydropowerPlant Kops II

HydropowerPlant Rifa

HydropowerPlant Vermunt Hydropower

Plant Latschau

HydropowerPlant Rodund I

HydropowerPlant Rodund II

HydropowerPlant Lnersee

Vorarlberger Illwerke AG was founded in 1924 as a limited liability com-

pany (GmbH) and has been a joint stock company (AG) located in Bre-

genz since 1927. The primary shareholder of Illwerke is the Province of

Vorarlberg, holding 95.5% of the shares. 4.5 % of the shares are in the

possession of WEG-Wertpapiererwerbsgesellschaft m.b.H., Bregenz.

With nine power plants, four reservoirs and several pump storage reser-voirs, the Illwerke hydroelectric scheme is the basis for generating elec-

tricity from alpine water resources in the Montafon and the Walgau.

Within the European grid that connects all power plants and consumers

concerned, Illwerke supplies peak energy to its consumers and contrac-

tual partners: Energie Baden-Wrttemberg AG (EnBW), the Province

of Vorarlberg/Vorarlberger Kraftwerke AG (VKW) and the Province of

Tyrol/TIWAG-Tiroler Wasserkraft AG, as well as the opportunity to take

advantage of pump storage and additional energy services.

Peak and control energy covers the peak demand periods that occur

briefly but often during any given day in order to maintain the balan-

ce between consumption and generation of electricity. During low de-

mand periods in the grid, especially in case of a high supply of wind

energy, Illwerkes power plants take energy of the grid to operate the

pumps, a procedure known as pump storage. The water pumped intohigh-altitude reservoirs is then available for periods of high demand for

peak and control energy. This practice of pump storage has proven to

be highly effective.

Illwerke provides its electricity customers with 1,248 MW turbine output

and a pump capacity of 533 MW. Following the commissioning of Hy-

dropower Plant Kops II, this makes up 1,700 MW of turbine output and

980 MW of pump capacity.

VORARLBERGER ILLWERKE AG3

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

12/13

Vorarlbergs history of electricity industry began more than a century

ago. Due to the abounding watercourses and the good geographical

conditions, Vorarlberg presented the ideal prerequisites for an econo-

mically important development of hydropower. Founded as early as in

1901 as a private company, the Vorarlberger Kraftwerke AG (VKW) beca-

me in 1929 a province-owned company that covered the public demandof electricity.

The Vorarlberger Illwerke AG (Illwerke) was founded in 1924 in view

of the production of peak and control energy for its partners in the

European grid.

In the course of the liberalization of the European electricity market the

companies merged on January 1st, 2001 as Illwerke/VKW group and

have now a common management.

The distribution of duties and responsibilities was reorganized within

the Illwerke/VKW group. The core business of Illwerke concentrates on

the production of energy and the operation of VKW power plants. The

VKW concentrates on the distribution of energy in Vorarlberg and in

the neighbouring Western Allgu and acts as electricity distributor. The

VKW-Netz AG concentrates on the transportation of electricity and the

operation of a distributing grid thus assuring a secure electricity supply

in Vorarlberg.

Bregenz

Lindau

Dornbirn

Feldkirch

Bludenz

Schruns

Partenen

CH

FRG

FL

Munich

Friedrichs-

hafen

Altenrhein

Zurich

UlmStuttgart

InnsbruckVienna

HydropowerPlant Kops II

A14

A8A7

S16

L188

A1/A13

A96

Vorarlberger Illwerke Aktiengesellschaft

Weidachstrae 6, 6900 Bregenz, Austria

T +43/5574/601-0, F +43/5574/601-78526

www.illwerke.at

www.kopswerk2.at

info-kopswerk2@illwerke.at

3 CONTACT3group

group

7/27/2019 Hydropower Plant Pump Englisch

13/13