Local news Austria

30/11/2023: Rwanda, Rusumo Falls - First synchronization of Unit No. 1

After successful penstock filling in July 2023, our installation and commissioning team successfully performed in October 2023 all commissioning tests of Unit No.1 at the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Project. Finally, ANDRITZ received Unit No. 1 Completion Certificate by October 17th 2023.

The project is located at Rusumo Falls at the common border on the river Kagera between Rwanda on the...

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23/11/2023: ANDRITZ to supply equipment for "green battery" Ebensee, Austria

International technology group ANDRITZ, a leading company in the field of energy and environmental technologies, has received an order from the Upper Austrian utility Energie AG to supply the electromechanical equipment for the new Ebensee pumped storage power plant.

This groundbreaking project not only marks the largest single investment by the energy utility, but also represents a significant step towards climate neutrality.

The advanced pumped storage plant will act as...

Read more in the press release...

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20/11/2023: Austria, KW Kühtai 1 –Two new stators for the pumped storage power plant

The Austrian TIWAG (Tiroler Wasserkraft AG) is renewing two stators in the pumped storage power plant Kühtai 1. The generators with an installed capacity of 176 MVA each were considered unique due to their extraordinary dimensions and material demands at the time of their construction between 1977 and 1981.

The contract, which is tightly scheduled, was awarded to ANDRITZ in September 2023 and includes the dismantling of the two operating generators and the commissioning of the system after the installation of the two new manufactured stators.

As part of the redesign of these generator components, is being carried out including an update to a serial ventilation and the modification of the external fans.

The power plant itself is located at an altitude of around 1900 meters and is part of the Sellrain-Silz power plant group, which also includes Kühtai 2, just under construction, and the Silz power plant located in the Inntal in Tyrol.

Technical Data:
2 three-phase synchronous motor generators
Rated output: each 176 MVA
Rated voltage 18 kV
Rated speed 600 1/min (5 pole pair)
Annual production power plant group Sellrain-Silz: 531 GWh

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10/11/2023: Limberg 3, Austria - Generator ribbed shaft installed

Significant progress was made at the large construction site of the Limberg 3 pumped storage power plant in Kaprun, Austria, at the beginning of October: the first generator “slab”, a massive ribbed shaft, was successfully installed. This impressive 91-ton steel shaft transmits the immense power of the water to the turbines during operation.

The ribbed shaft, a ten-meter-long forged shaft with welded steel ribs, was transported to the construction site in the mountain on specialized transporters and then driven backwards uphill into the power plant cavern. This involved impressive 5.5 kilometers of tunnels. The generator shaft was then precisely erected and positioned at the rotor assembly site using a specially designed tilting and lifting device and two hall cranes.
The ribbed shaft is the rotating part of the 280 MVA motor generator. The other components are mounted on this shaft on site by ANDRITZ. The rotor will have a total weight of 370 tons. 

The Limberg 3 pumped storage power plant is an extension of the Glockner-Kaprun power plant group in the Austrian Alps and has been specially designed to meet the future requirements of the energy transition. It is considered the most modern pumped storage power plant in Austria. The two machine sets will deliver an impressive 480 megawatts of power from 2025 onwards, which is equivalent to the energy generated by around 60 large wind turbines.

ANDRITZ has received the order for the complete supply, engineering, installation, and commissioning of two variable-speed asynchronous motor-generators including auxiliary equipment as well as the two AC excitation systems. We are proud to be part of this groundbreaking project. It is an honor to support our customer VERBUND in the implementation of this immensely important pumped storage project in the heart of the Austrian Alps.

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09/11/2023: World Hydropower Congress 2023 – Come together of the hydropower community!

The World Hydropower Congress 2023, held in Indonesia, brought together key decision-makers, energy experts, and industry leaders from the global hydropower community. More than 300 organizations from 43 countries participated in this biennial event, which spanned three days and featured intensive discussions and knowledge sharing.

The congress was inaugurated by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, and it facilitated insights and contributions from officials and high-ranking delegates from Indonesia and various other countries. ANDRITZ also left a strong footprint at this event. Frederic Sauze, the CEO of ANDRITZ Hydro and a newly elected member...

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08/11/2023: Kidston, Australia – Let’s go!

In October 2023, the last pieces of equipment for the Kidston pumped storage power plant finally arrived on site. Now all the components, large and small, are on site and installation can begin.

Featuring an innovative approach to integrating solar power and low-cost energy storage, Kidston is set to be the world’s first co-located solar pumped storage hydropower plant. Located in an abandoned gold mine in Queensland once complete it will deliver ‘Renewable Energy on Tap’. ANDRITZ is supplying the electro-mechanical equipment for the pumped storage hydro elements of this ground-breaking new project. The pumped storage plant will have a total output of 250 MW. 

The project is a collaboration between several international ANDRITZ sites. Our thanks go to the teams from different departments, whose excellent teamwork made this important milestone possible.

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06/11/2023: Business Roundtable Saudi Arabia in Vienna - On the road to a sustainable future!

In early October 2023, Vienna was host to the "Business Round Table Saudi Arabia," a significant event organized by the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce. The focus was on presenting promising investment opportunities in both Saudi Arabia and Austria, fostering economic relations between the two nations.

A highlight of this event was the presence of the Saudi Arabian Minister of Economy and Planning, H.E. Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim. This gathering was further enriched by the insights of industry leaders like DI Alexander Schwab, Senior Vice President of ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH.

Saudi Arabia's Vision for Sustainability:
Saudi Arabia, driven by ambitious goals, is steering its economy toward sustainability and growth. With a commitment to generating 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative, have been launched. A beacon project of this endeavor is "The Line" in Neom, Tarbuk Province. This visionary smart city will span 170 km, will have no roads or cars, will be solely powered by renewable energy, offering a glimpse into the future of urban living.

ANDRITZ's Role in the Renewable Energy Revolution:
ANDRITZ, a pioneer in the renewable energy sector, recognizes the potential of projects like "The Line." Variable renewable resources like wind and solar are sufficient available in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, to compensate the volubility of these sources huge storage capabilities will be necessary. These can only be managed by large hydro pumped storage plants and hybrid solutions of all renewable resources. 

ANDRITZ emphasizes its competence for pumped storage power plants and their experience of combined solutions of solar, wind and pumped storage. As a flagship model in the region ANDRITZ is presently executing the Hatta pumped storage project in the United Arab Emirates. 
Our commitment to a clean energy transition is showcased through projects worldwide, reflecting our dedication to protect the environment, drive decarbonization, reduce resource consumption, and promote the circular economy.

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24/10/2023: “OVE-Energietechnik-Tagung” in Klagenfurt - 60Years Anniversary

On October 18/19, 2023, the 60th “OVE-Energietechnik-Tagung”.took place in Klagenfurt. More than 280 participants attended the anniversary and learned about the topics of grid expansion, flexibility in the system and innovations in power generation from renewable energies.

In addition to numerous technical presentations, a panel discussion and a poster session, the “OVE-Energietechnik-Tagung”.2023 again offered ample opportunity for networking. 

One of the participants was Robert Neumann, product manager at ANDRITZ Hydro GmbH. His presentation, "The impact of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) on the power system stability – The renaissance of synchronous condensers"  addressed the challenges faced by transmission and distribution system operators in the face of new operating conditions. In his presentation he was able to illustrate how synchronous condensers are part of the solution for maintaining the stability of the electricity grid.

We thank OVE for the invitation and the opportunity to present ANDRITZ technology and modern synchronous condenser solutions in this exclusive circle.

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19/10/2023: ANDRITZ participates in the official visit of Chancellor Nehammer to Türkiye

From October 9-11, 2023, the Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, was on an official visit to Türkiye. Nehammer was accompanied by Martin Kocher, Federal Minister of Labor, Family, and Youth, and a business delegation consisting of the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Austrian Industries, and well-known company representatives who are interested, among other things, in Türkiye's gradual switch to renewable energies, above all hydropower.

Currently, Türkiye's dependence on fossil energy imports from Russia is high. On this occasion, the company representatives also had the opportunity to...

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06/10/2023: Start of the new career development program “myChance”

With the slogan "myChance - myChange", the new career development program "myChance" started in Raaba near Graz on October 4, 2023, with the first three-day module.

Over the next 15 months, 10 ANDRITZ Hydro employees from four different countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland) will be trained by external and internal coaches on topics such as project management, agile mindset, communication, leadership, and team building. 

With this development program, ANDRITZ wants to give the participants the opportunity to develop further from their existing area of responsibilities. 

We are looking forward to an exciting journey with our first myChance participants!

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04/10/2023: TGM Career Day 2023 - a review

On September 28, 2023, we had the pleasure of presenting ANDRITZ as an attractive employer at the TGM "Career Day" in Vienna.

The representatives of the specialist departments and HR management of ANDRITZ AG and ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH looked into many interested faces and held exciting discussions with the technicians of tomorrow. It was a pleasure to exchange ideas with the young people about opportunities for jobs, summer internship and diploma theses and to discuss the current situation on the job market with them.

We are already looking forward to participating in the career fair again next year.

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29/09/2023: ANDRITZ participates in expert event “OVE-Energietechnik-Tagung”.

Join us on October 18-19, 2023, in Klagenfurt, Austria, as OVE hosts the “60th OVE-Fachtagung der Energietechnik-Branche”.

This exclusive event brings together industry experts from the economy, power companies, research as well as related stakeholders to discuss the topic “Grids of the future – Technologies & Systems”. Flexibility in the system and challenges along with the integration of renewable energy sources will also be discussed.

One of the participants is Robert Neumann, Product Manager at ANDRITZ Hydro GmbH. His lecture "The impact of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) on the power system stability – The renaissance of synchronous condensers" covers the challenges transmission and distribution utilities are facing due to the transition from a synchronous generator dominated system to an inverter dominated one. He will also talk about how synchronous condensers are part of the solution for maintaining the stability of the electricity grid.

We are looking forward meeting you at this event, where knowledge and networking converge. Secure your spot by registering here: www.energietechnik-taung.at 

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18/09/2023: TGM Career Day 2023

On September 28, 2023, employees from the technical departments and HR management will represent ANDRITZ AG and ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH at the "Career Day" of the TGM in Vienna.

We are looking forward to an exciting day at the trade fair, interesting discussions, and inquisitive students. 

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30/08/2023: ANDRITZ participating in expert event “Digitalisation in Hydropower”

Join us on September 28-29, 2023, in Zurich, Switzerland, as vgbe and Axpo host an impactful expert event titled “Digitalisation in Hydropower 2023 - Experiences with implemented digital measures”.

This exclusive gathering will convene industry experts from prominent operator and manufacturer companies, alongside related stakeholders, to discuss challenges and opportunities brought about by the ongoing digital transformation of operation and maintenance of hydropower fleets.

One of the distinguished participants is Michael Fink, O&M Hub Manager Austria at ANDRITZ Hydro GmbH. His lecture "From Data to Value" will spotlight the art of translating data into actionable value for hydropower plant operators and owners. The presentation will showcase concrete instances of effective digitalization strategies and their far-reaching impact on critical aspects such as plant uptime, aggregate production, maintenance expenditures, insurance frameworks, and financial models.

We eagerly anticipate your presence at this event, where knowledge and networking converge. Secure your spot by registering here: vgbe/Axpo Expert Event Digitalisation in Hydropower

More information on vgbe: https://www.vgbe.energy/en/
More information on Axpo: https://www.axpo.com/ch/en/about-us.html

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24/07/2023: Joint power plant Inn, Austria - Residual flow turbine Ovella successfully put into operation

In the Austrian/Swiss border area between Martina and Nauders, the Ovella weir is located on the Inn River with a 15 m high weir for water intake.

Via a 23.2 km long headrace tunnel, the discharged water is turbined in the Prutz powerhouse by two sets of machines and then flows back into the Inn River through an underground channel.

The name of the overall project, as well as the power plant company itself, is Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Inn - GKI. It is a joint project of TIWAG and Engadiner Kraftwerke AG.

The two main machine sets in Prutz / Tyrol were already successfully commissioned at the end of 2022. ANDRITZ supplied the generators, the entire control technology and visualization system, the excitation equipment, and the power station governor for this project. 

The Ovella residual flow turbine is part of the Ovella weir system. Both together are responsible for the doping of the residual water in the Inn riverbed. The powerhouse on the right bank of the Inn is in Austria, while half of the weir on the left bank is already in Switzerland.

By end of May 2023, the residual flow turbine has now also been successfully commissioned. As in the entire project, the control technology was supplied completely by ANDRITZ.

Technical data:
Kaplan S turbine
Nominal power: 2.377 MW (turbine)
Rated speed: 272.72 rpm
Nominal flow rate: 20m³/s
Head: 13.26m

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05/07/2023: The Ambassador of Austria to China visited ANDRITZ Chengdu Branch

The Austrian Ambassador to China, H.E. Mr. Andreas Riecken, visited Sichuan Province from June 14 to 15, 2023 and met with provincial and municipal leaders on strengthening the cooperation. 

It was the Ambassador's first visit to..

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15/06/2023: ANDRITZ promotes visit by Brazilian delegation to Austria

ANDRITZ aims to actively participate in the Brazilian energy transition and is making every effort to ensure that its strength in the hydropower sector is seen by those who are following these changes. 

Based on this, a delegation was created with important names from the sector, representatives of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, ANEEL and the Chamber of Deputies to visit the main hydroelectric power generation points in Austria.

This visit became possible through the work of the presidency and board of directors of ANDRITZ, who have successfully established strong connections that brought together government members and Brazilian investors , the Austrian embassy, clients, and prominent institutions such as ABRAGEL - Brazilian Association of Clean Energy, to foster ideas, solutions, and projects for the challenges Brazil will face in the coming years.

The purpose of the visit was the exchange of information related to pump storage, the operation of multipurpose units, and the generation of green hydrogen. Following this agenda, the participants had the opportunity to visit the Freudenau Hydropower Plant, the largest urban energy generation unit in Austria, take a tour of ANDRITZ’ hydraulic laboratory in Linz and visit the Hintermuhr Hydropower Plant.

Sales Director Sérgio Gomes accompanied the group and stated that this visit was an opportunity to exchange experiences. "Our company is committed to promoting the sharing of knowledge in order to expand our connections and showcase our full capacity as a company to provide services and promote solutions. ANDRITZ stands by its partners for all challenges involving the energy transition."

Another topic mentioned, which was one of the highlights of the benchmarking, was the management of stakeholders in the region where the generation units are located. The President of ANDRITZ Hydro Brazil, Dieter Hopf, commented on how the initiatives adopted by Austrian industries can help create actions with positive impacts in Brazil. "Austria is a model of sustainable energy generation with a geography that allows abundant generation. An important point to emphasize is that along with all this energy comes job creation, as it is currently indicated that electricity demand will increase in the next decade. Brazil has all this potential and is a country that provides development, and ANDRITZ wants to be involved in all the improvements that the energy transition will bring," concluded Dieter.

The trip was also an opportunity to promote meetings between governments. A delegation from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Chamber of Deputies and Mr. Dieter Hopf, participated in meetings in the Austrian parliament and had the opportunity to meet with Minister of Climate and Energy Leonore Gewessler.

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14/06/2023: Luang Prabang HPP, LaoPDR – Successful hydraulic model acceptance test

In April 2023, the hydraulic development of the Kaplan turbines for the Luang Prabang HPP, a new run-of-river hydroelectric power plant in Laos, was successfully concluded with an acceptance test at the Hydraulic Laboratory in Linz, Austria.

ANDRITZ, a global leader in the supply of electromechanical equipment for hydropower plants, was awarded the contract for the supply of the entire electromechanical equipment and auxiliary systems by CKPower in December 2022. Luang Prabang will be one of the largest hydropower plants on the Mekong River with an installed capacity of 1,460 MW, consisting of seven 200 MW units and three 20 MW units and an annual generation of over 6,500 GWh.

Special attention is given to meet the highest requirements regarding fish friendliness. Most modern computational fluid dynamic modeling is used to design turbines to achieve highest fish survival rates. ANDRITZ is also cooperating with the customer CKPower in assessing actual conditions in the successfully completed Xayaburi project.

Prior to the model test in Linz, a high-ranking delegation of CKPower and Ch. Karnchang met the ANDRITZ Hydro top management at the hydro headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The meeting underlined the good cooperation and long-term relationship between the partners. In the meeting, ANDRITZ handed over a 3D-model of a Kaplan turbine of HPP Xayaburi.

The acceptance test was witnessed by representatives of CKPower, its consultant AFRY and the EPC contractor Ch. Karnchang Lao. The parties expressed their satisfaction with the model test results and congratulated the entire ANDRITZ team for achieving the guaranteed efficiencies. After commissioning in 2029, the main units will be the most powerful Kaplan turbines ever built by ANDRITZ and one of the top three worldwide.

The success of the test is a testament to the expertise and dedication of the ANDRITZ team in designing and manufacturing world-class hydropower equipment.

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02/06 2023: President of ANDRITZ Hydro Brazil participates in meeting with Austrian parliamentarians at the Ministry of Mines and Energy

On May 16, Dieter Hopf, President of ANDRITZ Hydro, attended a meeting in Brasília, Federal District of Brazil, between important figures from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Mr. Stefan Scholz, the Austrian Ambassador to Brazil, members of the Austrian parliament, and the board of ABRAGEL (Brazilian Association of Clean Energy) to discuss the ongoing energy transformation in the country.

The meeting was organized through ABRAGEL, as explained by Fernando Vilela, who represented the institution. "The Austrian delegation was very impressed with the information about the hydropower sector in our country. The meeting went smoothly and was productive. Undoubtedly, the ties between Brazil and Austria have been strengthened," he emphasized.

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25/05/2023: Malta Upper Stage Pumped Storage Power Plant in Austria successful commissioned

The two sets of Isogyre pump turbines in the Malta Upper Stage pumped storage power plant were originally commissioned 1978. 

After about 40 years in operation, both machines were rehabilitated and upgraded.

ANDRITZ Hydro handed over the rehabilitated unit 1 to our customer Verbund in 2021 and unit 2 in 2022. Malta Upper Stage with its Galgenbichl power station, wonderfully located 1,667 m above sea level in the mountains of Carinthia in Austria, was successfully commissioned and went into commercial operation. Malta Upper Stage features a 200 m-high double-curved concrete dam. It is not only the highest dam in Austria, but also one of the highest curved dams in Europe.

The original hydraulic machines were fixed-speed, lsogyre-type pump turbines with two runners (pump and turbine) on the same shaft with a shared spiral casing. They had a capacity of 62.8 MW each and could generate 21 MW at 375 rpm and 58 MW at 500 rpm when used as pumps.

ANDRITZ Hydro installed new variable-speed machine sets, which now have a capacity of 80 MW each and can be operated both as pumps and turbines. To achieve the best possible sustainability, the new pump turbines are integrated into the existing spiral casing, re-using the existing structures as best as possible. 

In addition, the use of a variable speed generator helps to improve the efficiency, power control, and flexibility of the hydropower system. This technology enables an instantaneous power regulation for a dynamic operation, necessary to balance the growing amount of volatile power sources.

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16/05/2023: ANDRITZ's successful journey with the Austrian Chancellor in Africa

We are delighted to announce the successful participation of ANDRITZ in the official visit of the Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, to Africa.

This journey marked a significant milestone in our commitment to driving sustainable energy development across the continent.

Accompanied by high-ranking representatives of the Austrian industry, Chancellor Karl Nehammer visited Angola, Ghana, and Egypt in April 2023. ANDRITZ Senior Vice President, Mr. Alexander Schwab, proudly represented our company as an official representative throughout the trip.

The visit commenced in Luanda, Angola, with our active involvement in the Economic Forum. Alongside Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig, our team showcased the immense potential of Angola for green hydrogen production. Drawing from our 100 years of experience in the region, we have played a crucial role in supplying hydropower equipment for significant projects in Angola, including Laúca, Cambambe, Matala, Neuville, and numerous small-scale hydropower plants.

Continuing the journey, the delegation arrived in Ghana, where Chancellor Karl Nehammer held a bilateral meeting with President Nana Akufo-Addo. The discussions primarily focused on strengthening economic cooperation. Over the years, ANDRITZ has made substantial contributions to Ghana's hydropower sector, delivering advanced equipment for projects such as HPP Akosombo and Kpong.

The final destination of this remarkable trip was Egypt, where the Chancellor, accompanied by Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Kamal Madbouli, participated in an important economic event. For ANDRITZ, Egypt's hydropower market holds a special place, as we have been involved in major projects since the early 1920s. Our contributions include the delivery and rehabilitation of approximately 45 units with a combined capacity of nearly 700 MW, supporting the country's hydropower development.

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10/05/2023: Girls!TECH UP

Technology is just a man's job? No way!

Girls!TECH UP, an initiative by OVE Fem, is breaking stereotypes and promoting diversity in the technology industry. As part of the initiative, representatives from ANDRITZ AG and ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH engaged in a dialogue with young girls to inspire them to pursue careers in (electrical) engineering and IT. The event showcased the potential of these fields and demonstrated that they are equally open to girls. ANDRITZ's participation in the initiative shows a commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce, while Girls!TECH UP plays a crucial role in inspiring the next generation of female professionals in technology and engineering. By breaking down gender stereotypes and promoting inclusivity, initiatives like this help to ensure that the industry is representative of society as a whole.

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04/05/2023: Austria-Vietnam Forum for Infrastructure and Technology in Hanoi

H.E. Alexander Schallenberg, the Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs, visited Vietnam on 16-18 April 2023, to boost the political and economic ties and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.

As part of the Austrian business delegation, ANDRITZ Hydro, represented by Senior Vice President Alexander Schwab, took part in the Austria-Vietnam Cooperation Forum in the field of infrastructure and technology. On this occasion, ANDRITZ and the EVN’s Power Generation Corporation 2 (EVNGENCO2) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on digitalizing the operation and maintenance processes of the latter’s power plants.

According to the MoU, ANDRITZ will support EVNGENCO 2 in the digital transformation readiness and establishing of a modern sustainable Operation and Maintenance (O&M) roadmap, taking full profit of the most advanced information technology and digital solutions, with the overall objective to improve the reliability of power supply and quality, reduce power loss and improve the efficiency of power generation and operation management of power plants. Moreover, ANDRITZ will also supports the deployment of a sustainable global Asset Management strategy within EVNGENCO2 to optimize the entire O&M process with the overall objective to reduce operating costs and investment costs in the long term through improving performances in short-term to long-term operation planning, repair, upgrading and investment.

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02/05/2023: Economic mission to Albania and North Macedonia with H.E. the Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen

Austrian Federal President, Alexander Van der Bellen travelled to Albania and North Macedonia end of March 2023 together with Alma Zadić, Minister of Justice and an Austrian business delegation. 

As both now countries have candidate status to join the European Union, the aim of the political talks was to set new impulses and to strengthen the economic relations between the two countries and Austria. As part of the Austrian business delegation, ANDRITZ, represented by Regional Director SEE Christian Gstrein, took part in economic talks with local companies and government representatives. The Austrian Federal President also visited the hydropower plant Ashta, equipped with ANDRITZ HydromatrixTM turbines, a lighthouse project for innovative hydropower technology from Austria.

ANDRITZ Hydro is one of the biggest Austrian investors in the Region and offers innovative technology and know-how for hydropower plants, which ensures the safe and reliable supply of green energy.

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27/04/2023: Weisshaus, Austria - Comprehensive rehabilitation of Kaplan turbines

ANDRITZ received an order from Elektrizitätswerke Reutte AG for comprehensive rehabilitation of the electromechanical equipment of the two Kaplan turbines at the Weisshaus power station in the Austrian province of Tyrol near the border with Bavaria.

Designed as a diversion power plant for the Lech River, the Weisshaus power plant group was commissioned in 1968. The two Kaplan turbines each have a bottleneck capacity of 7,350 kW with a discharge water flow of 25 m³/s and a net head of 31.8 m. The turbines are designed to operate at a standard capacity of 72 GWh making the power station one of the most powerful and thus most important in the power station group of Elektrizitätswerke Reutte.

The order placed with ANDRITZ is the continuation of many years of successful cooperation, which is also interesting from a company history point of view. The first suppliers of the turbines and generators were VÖEST and ELIN. In 1994/1995, VOEST-ALPINE MCE overhauled the turbines with new runner blades and improved details. These are all companies whose business areas were later integrated into ANDRITZ.

The contract includes a complete refurbishment of the turbines and generators with design improvements and modernization. The machines will be completely dismantled and rebuilt component by component. Work on the generator will take place on site, while most of the turbine components will be transferred to ANDRITZ’ manufacturing facility in Graz, Austria. The work will start with the dismantling of the first machine in 2023 and end with the commissioning of the second unit in May 2025. The contract will be carried out across ANDRITZ locations in Austria, Linz (turbine design), Weiz (design, manufacture of bearing components generator) and Graz (refurbishment of the dismantled turbine components).

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05/04/2023: Changes in the ANDRITZ AG Executive Board

ANDRITZ GROUP announces changes in its Executive Board, with two long-serving members retiring after their successful careers with the company.
 

Wolfgang Semper has been a member of the Executive Board since 2011, with responsibility for the Hydro business area..

Read more in the press release

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06/03/2023: Testing for the best – Festive inauguration of the world’s strongest R&D rig

After a planned construction time of about a year, the new high performance test rig has now been inaugurated, marking a new milestone in R&D history.
 

With an employee celebration in Linz, Austria, the launch of the new test facility took place in the presence of Wolfgang Semper, member of the Management Board of ANDRITZ Hydro GmbH and member of the Executive Board of ANDRITZ AG.

In future it will be possible to test model turbines for hydropower plants with a model head of up to 250 m and a maximum flow rate of 1.8 m3/s. It will also be possible to implement special customer requests regarding larger model sizes and test conditions. Test rig operations will be supported by the internal ANDRITZ platform Metris, which will automatically monitor the test data. The high-performance test rig is designed as a universal test rig for Kaplan turbines, Francis turbines, storage pumps and pump turbines with a broad range from low to high pressure, and both vertical and horizontal arrangement. 

With the inauguration of this testing facility, ANDRITZ has turned its vision of building the world’s most powerful test rig into reality. The first customer acceptance tests will take place in the next few months.

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01/03/2023: “Asia 2023” is taking place again – March 14-16, 2023, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

After a long period without face-to-face meetings due to the pandemic, the hydropower community will again come together at "Asia 2023" from March 14-16, 2023, in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

This year’s "ASIA 2023" is themed “Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development in Asia” and provides an excellent platform for international experts and all those interested in the hydropower industry, such as utilities, suppliers, investors, project developers, and operators from around the world, to address issues of immediate importance to the region.

ANDRITZ is market leader for electromechanical equipment in Asia with local set-ups in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, and New Zealand. About 3,000 turbines with a total capacity of approximately 105,000 MW have been supplied by ANDRITZ to this region so far, with the first deliveries starting at the beginning of the 20th century.

We will be at “ASIA 2023” and are looking forward to again meeting all partners in the hydropower industry and to spending a few days full of discussions, presentations, and exchange of experiences 

Visit us at Asia 2023 at booth No. 23!

Additional info box:
Event facts:
-    Asia 2023 Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development in Asia”
-    When: March 14-16, 2023
-    Where: Shangri La Hotel,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
-    Organizer: Aqua Media International
-    Webpage event
-    Registration link
-    Event brochure of the organizer

ANDRITZ presentations: 
Wednesday March, 15

Session 13 - Hydropower equipment

• Case study of a low specific speed Kaplan in a high abrasive environment – S. Weissenberger and R. Peyreder, Andritz Hydro GmbH, Austria; C. Morper, Andritz Hydro GmbH, Germany
• Multiple compact units: Detailed analysis – P. Duflon, Andritz Hydro SAS, France

Session 16 - New approaches to renewable

• Energy Systems Battery energy storage systems in hydro powerplants: The perfect match for the future? – T. Eiper, J. Hell and S. Kadam, Andritz Hydro, Austria

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28/02/2023: Pumped Storage Plant Wehr, Germany – Another contract for generator rehabilitation

We are honored to be trusted with another generator rehabilitation at the pumped storage plant Wehr in Germany.

After the successful commissioning of generator unit B09 in 2021 and the award of the follow-up order for unit B10 in 2022, the new contract for unit A09 is proof of the customers satisfaction with the excellent work of our generator competence center, having developed the world's most powerful air-cooled horizontal motor generators.

We are proud to be part of this project and to support our customer in rehabilitating this important power plant. With 910 MW (turbine mode) / 980 MW (pump mode) PSP Wehr is providing about 1,000 GWh of clean and climate-friendly energy per year. 

Read more about our activities in Wehr in our latest issue of HydroNews 36.

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27/02/2023: 22nd Company Day of HTL Weiz

The 22nd Company Day of HTL Weiz at the Kunsthaus Weiz provided an ideal platform for interested parties to find out about their career opportunities.

As an international technology group, ANDRITZ also presented itself as an attractive employer. Representatives of the technical departments and human resources management of ANDRITZ Hydro had an exchange with many young, enthusiastic visitors. We are already looking forward to the next Company Day at HTL Weiz.

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16/02/2023: Roundtable on sustainable hydroelectricity in Colombia

We thank the IHA for their invitation to participate in the round table on sustainable hydroelectricity in Colombia held on Monday, February 6 in Bogota Colombia.

IHA President Roger Gill along with his colleagues Pablo Valverde and Joao Costa moderated the presentations and discussions held during a morning with representatives of the Colombian energy sector such as the Ministry of Energy, National Agency for Environmental Licensing, Association of Generators of Colombia, National Association of Public Services and Communications Companies, Empresas Públicas de Medellín, Isagen, representatives of small hydro and finally ANDRITZ as a manufacturer with an important presence in the hydropower of Colombia.

The total capacity of the interconnected system in Colombia is 18.7 GW and the hydroelectric potential is 51.6 GW, consequently, there are still many opportunities for new but sustainable hydroelectric developments.

Even with the incorporation of around 2.5 GW in new Wind and Solar generation planned in Colombia for the next 2 years, hydroelectricity will continue be around 70% of the total demand, so the challenges will be to maintain and renew existing hydroelectric plants and consider the storage with reversible power plants as key pieces for the energy transition in Colombia.

We thank the IHA and we remain attentive to the next meetings that may arise as a result of this meeting with the Colombian authorities.

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25/01/2023: Sponsoring of equipment for ski school in Tajikistan

When working on a site, sponsoring of local activities and local social institutions is very important for ANDRITZ.

Hence, when we were approached by the Austria-Tajikistan Society and..

Read more...

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12/01/2023: Ialy Expansion Hydropower Plant – Successful turbine model test

The Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and ANDRITZ have organized the test of the turbine model for the Ialy Hydropower Plant Extension Project in December 2022.

The test results show that..

Read more...

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20/12/2022: Renewable energy for Lao PDR - ANDRITZ receives contract for Luang Prabang hydropower plant

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from CH. Karnchang (Lao) Company Ltd. to supply the electro-mechanical equipment for the newly constructed Luang Prabang run-of-river hydropower plant, Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Read more in the Press Release...

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19/12/2022: HPP Nam Theun 1, Laos – Successful taking over of all units

Finally, after a challenging commissioning period, all units of Nam Theun 1 hydropower station are successfully completed and have been handed over for commercial operation in August 2022.

The Nam Theun 1 hydropower station is a storage scheme using the water from the Nam Kading River and is located in the last gorge before the confluence with the Mekong River. There are three units installed, two 270-MW- units for EGAT, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and one 130-MW-unit for EdL (Électricité du Laos). The main objective of the project is to produce and sell power to EGAT and EdL. 

ANDRITZ received an order from Nam Theun 1 Power Company (NT1PC) in Laos for a complete new turnkey project in August 2016. The scope of supply for ANDRITZ comprised design, detail engineering, manufacturing, delivery, installation, and commissioning of the complete electromechanical equipment for all three units including turbines, MIVs, generators, main transformers, 500 kV GIS, and several switchyards. The project is executed within a consortium of ANDRITZ Hydro Austria (lead) and ANDRITZ Hydro India.

Although dealing with a complete site lock-down for more than a month in April 2020 and other obstacles caused by the Corona pandemic, the ANDRITZ team has not left the Nam Theun 1 site keeping the installation progress alive as much as possible. Most of the material has been already at site, so the biggest challenges were bringing the necessary staff for supervision and especially for the commissioning from abroad to Laos due to travelling and visa/quarantine restrictions and arranging the consignments of the heavy parts such as main transformers and main inlet valves over the border and across the river Mekong to the site. But in a cooperative effort with all involved parties and thanks to the excellent on-site staff, these challenges were faced head-on and the commissioning and handing over could take place successfully. All units were put into commercial operation with August 2022.

ANDRITZ is proud to have been part of this important project and to have been able to overcome all challenges. Nam Theun 1 is now producing renewable energy for the local people in Laos and Thailand.

Technical details: 
Total output: 2x 270 MW / 316 MVA and 1x 130 MW / 156 MVA
Voltage: 13.8/500 kV and 15.75/110 kV
Speed: 187,5 rpm and 250 rpm
Head: 140 m

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13/12/2022: Gulpur, Pakistan – Site Safety Award

In recognition of the excellent safety performance with an accident-free period comprising 1.390.000 manhours of work at site without any lost time accident, Markus Fuchsberger, Vice President Quality Management, presented the ANDRITZ Site Safety Award to the Gulpur hydropower plant project team on December 1, 2022. 

Congratulation to Raheem Abdul Samee, Site Manager; Amer Ali, HSE Manager; Muhammad Wasif Ali, Site Coordinator; Iftikhar Ahmad, Onshore Manager; Bahar Ali, Commercial Onshore Manager; as well as to our excellent site staff for active participation.

The 102-MW-Gulpur hydropower plant is located in the state of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan and owned by Mira Power Ltd, a special purpose company of the Korea Southeast Power Company Limited (KOEN). ANDRITZ supplied the entire electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment for the new run-of-river plant., we reported recently.

We congratulate the installation and commissioning team of Gulpur to this achievement!

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09/12/2022: ANDRITZ at the education and career orientation fair B-BOM 22

The education and career orientation fair B-BOM 22 in the forumKloster in Gleisdorf offered an optimal platform for interested parties to inform themselves about their career opportunities. 

As an international technology Group, ANDRITZ also presented itself as an attractive employer and pioneer through apprenticeship training. The representatives of the specialist departments and personnel management of Andritz HYDRO GmbH exchanged ideas with many young, enthusiastic visitors.

We are already looking forward to the next "pre-Christmas" education and career orientation fair in Gleisdorf!

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07/12/2022: Kidston PSPP, Australia – Moving forward

Currently, the first components for Kidston PSP are arriving from abroad, all embedded parts for two pump turbines such as the draft tube, the draft tube gate, the spiral case and the stay ring were successfully delivered to the site storage in October 2022.

Other deliveries for the plant are scheduled till mid-summer 2023. We informed some weeks ago.

The 250 MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) is the first pumped hydro project in Australia for over 40 years, the first to be developed by the private sector, and the third largest electricity storage device in the country. ANDRITZ is supplying the complete electro-mechanical equipment including a 10-year-O&M contract for this prestigious project.

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21/11/2022: ANDRITZ at Expert Event „Digitalization in Hydropower“

On November 17 - 18, 2022 vgbe in cooperation with Verbund held the 5th International Expert Event “Digitalization in Hydropower” in Vienna, Austria.

The event brought together hydropower professionals and decision-makers from many countries and provided a comprehensive overview of important topics regarding digitalization in hydropower.

Here the company’s Martin Unterkreuter presented ANDRITZ’ technical and commercial solutions and services dedicated to Operation and Maintenance activities, and their optimization. These services are supported by the modular and flexible platform Metris DiOMera. which optimally meets specific customer requirements, preserves the environment and supports operation management. It provides a decision guidance for target-oriented maintenance works considering the lifetime management to define the right scope and moment for the maintenance in order to maximize the availability of the plant.

Learn more how to maximize the availability of your hydropower plant with Metris DiOMera.

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21/11/2022: Sloy, Scotland – Connected to the grid

That’s the final chapter on a long and challenging way - Sloy hydropower plant in Scotland.

Improvement works are now completed, with the station producing 152.5 MW green, sustainable, and clean power. 

First commissioned in 1950, Sloy is owned and operated by SSE, Scotland and now has additional capability installed by ANDRITZ. Housing four vertical Francis turbines with a rated output of 3 x 40 MW and 1 x 32.5, it is the largest conventional hydroelectric power plant (excluding pump stations) in the entire UK. 

The scope of works for ANDRITZ now included design, manufacture, supply, integration, and commissioning of the hydraulic and digital governor including mechanical overspeed device and renewed servomotors which had to be integrated into the existing actuator housing as well as unit control system including HMI, and further integration of those systems with existing field devices. The project was carried out by ANDRITZ locations in Austria (Vienna and Linz) and Ravensburg in Germany, closely cooperating with one another and with the customer.

ANDRITZ has a long reference history in Scotland and was awarded several contracts by SSE recently. We are always striving to support our customers as best as possible with our comprehensive product and service portfolio. Safety and long operational life of our customers assets are main objectives.

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16/11/2022: VIENNAHYDRO 2022 – a review

After a long time without any face-to-face meetings due to the COVID pandemic, the whole Hydro community of Austria and the neighboring countries was looking forward to meeting each other at the traditional Seminar on Hydropower Plants –known as Viennahydro. 

This year, about 220 representatives from utilities, suppliers and academic institutions participated in this event and ANDRITZ was proud to be part of it. Nine dedicated ANDRITZ paper presentations, session chairs, and a modern booth offered a lot of opportunities for an interesting experience exchange and discussions between all participants. It was a very successful and productive event that opened up many new opportunities and perspectives. 
We were happy to meet you there! 

The whole ANDRITZ Hydro team is looking forward to the next Viennahydro in 2024.

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04/11/2022: VIENNAHYDRO 2022 – We will be there!

For many years „The Seminar on Hydropower“ organized by the Institute of Energy Systems and Thermodynamics of the TU Vienna, Austria is providing a platform to exchange experience and enable open-minded discussion about the role of Hydropower.

This year, the 21st edition of the conference will take place on November 9-11, 2022, in Laxenburg, Austria.

ANDRITZ is proud to be a sponsor, presenting technical papers and offering a booth space for discussions amongst the participants.

Event details:

• 21st International Seminar on Hydropower
• When: November 9-11, 2022
• Where: Conference Center Laxenburg, Austria
• Organizer: TU Wien; Institute of Energy Systems and Thermodynamics; Research Unit of Fluid-Flow Machinery
• Registration Link
• Event program

•    ANDRITZ Presenters: 

SESSION 2.2: Environmental, 09/Nov/2022
“Adaption of Turbine Design Procedures for Enhancing Fish-Passage Conditions” by Pedro Romero-Gomez

SESSION 3.1: Pumped Storage 1, 10/Nov/2022: 
“Design of variable speed PSP for immediate power” by Alois Lechner

SESSION 3.2: Control & Automation of HPP, 10/Nov/2022
“Hybridization of a RoR hydro power plant with a BESS – Experiences from the XFLEX HYDRO Vogelgrun Demonstrator” by Serdar Kadam

SESSION 3.2: Control & Automation of HPP, 10/Nov/2022
“Advantages of a unified platform for hydro power automation” by Werner Hörhann

SESSION 4.1: Operation & Maintenance 2, 10/Nov/2022
“Air cooling at its best: Changing the stator cooling scheme of a 300 MVA horizontal pump storage unit from water to air” by Gebhard Kastner

SESSION 6.1: Numerical Simulation 2, 10/Nov/2022
“Radial Fan layout: Towards an automated optimized, fast and reliable design” by Daniel Langmayr

SESSION 8.1: Pumped Storage 2, 11/Nov/2022
“Rehabilitation and runnder refurbishment of the pumped storage plant Rönkhausen” by Arno Gehrer

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24/10/2022: Kidston PSPP, Australia – Arrival of first components

The 250 MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) is the first pumped hydro project in Australia for over 40 years, the first to be developed by the private sector, and the third largest electricity storage device in the country.

K2-Hydro is the flagship project of the Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in Kidston, Far-North Queensland. In 2021, ANDRITZ signed a contract for the design, supply, and commissioning of the complete electro-mechanical equipment for this ground-breaking project.

Currently, the first components are arriving from abroad, all embedded parts for two pump turbines such as the draft tube, the draft tube gate, the spiral case and the stay ring were successfully delivered to the site storage in October 2022. Other deliveries for the plant are scheduled till mid-summer 2023. With end of 2024, ANDRITZ will put this 250 MW pumped-storage project in operation and will operate and maintain it for the subsequent 10 years.

After commissioning, Kidston will provide “renewable energy on tap”. ANDRITZ is extremely proud to play a key role in this unique development and to be able to support the client Genex Power and the Australian people on their way to a stable and renewable energy future.

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20/10 2022: Gulpur, Pakistan – Festive inauguration ceremony

On September 28th, 2022, the inauguration ceremony of the 102 MW Gulpur run-of-river plant in Pakistan was held at site in the in the state of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan.

The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira (Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan) and was co-chaired by Mr. Kim Hoe Chun (CEO, KOEN).

Read more...

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19/10/2022: Tedzani III, Malawi - FAC Signing Ceremony in Blantyre

On the 28^th Sept 2022, EGENCO‘s CEO, Mr. William Liabunya together with Walter Schwarz, Project Manager of ANDRITZ Hydro have signed the Final Acceptance Certificates (FAC) for the modernization and uprating of the two units of the Tedzani III Power Station.

One further milestone in the brilliant relation between both companies.

Special thanks to the Director of Operations, Mr. Rex H. Muhome, who was the biggest fighter for getting things done, for Blessings Phariwa, the former Power Station Manager and the entire EGENCO team.

Walter Schwarz stated: “As Project Manager for ANDRITZ Hydro, it is my wish to also thank the entire ANDRITZ team for such professionalism and performance over quite a long time in a challenging surrounding.”

The Project was closed to the full satisfaction of both partners. Furthermore, it should be mentioned, that the commercial goals as well as the time schedule for the Tedzani III Rehab Project could be kept.

Highlights are:

• Elimination of turbine cavitation problems
• Modernizing turbines, generators, Automation and EPS to modern and highest standards
• Upgrade from 26 MW to 31 MW
• Proven reliability of both units

HPP Tedzani III is located in Southern Malawi, about 100 km northwest of the city of Blantyre – Malawi’s center of finance and commerce and the second largest city in the country. The contract for rehabilitation, modernization and upgrading of the hydropower station was signed in March 2016. ANDRITZ was responsible for specifically defined repair and replacement works on turbines and generators including commissioning as well as for design, manufacturing, supply, installation, and commissioning of a completely new control and SCADA system, new excitation, protection and synchronization systems.

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17/10/2022: ANDRITZ successful at career fairs in Upper Austria

The Career Day at Johannes Kepler University in Linz on October 12^th, 2022, and the FH Career Fair in Wels on October 13^th, 2022, provided an ideal platform for interested parties to find out about their career opportunities.

As an international technology Group, ANDRITZ also presented itself as an attractive employer. Representatives of the technical departments and human resources management of ANDRITZ Hydro GmbH had an exchange with many young, enthusiastic visitors.

We are already looking forward to the next dynamic fall and thus to the Career Day of Johannes Kepler University Linz and the FH Career Fair in Wels!

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05/10/2022: Career Day at TGM in Vienna

TGM - The School of Technology - is the largest HTL in Vienna and one of the oldest in Austria, with around 2,600 students and 330 teachers.

The training programs include electronics and technical computer science, electrical engineering, IT, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and plastics technology, as well as the field of biomedical and health technology.

On September 29, 2022, the Career Day was held at the “Technologisches Gewerbemuseum” in Vienna. As an international technology Group, ANDRITZ also presented itself as a potential employer. Representatives of the technical departments and the HR management of ANDRITZ Hydro exchanged ideas with many young, interested students.

We are already looking forward to the next exciting Career Day at the TGM in Vienna.

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21/09 2022: ANDRITZ participates in International Hydropower Conference in Nepal

On September 12th to 13th, 2022, Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, was the host to the high-ranking international hydropower conference „Building Back Better and Greener with Sustainable Hydropower”.

Organized by the Nepal Hydropower Association (NHA), in collaboration with the International Hydropower Association (IHA), the conference focus was to promote consumption of hydropower and green energy to replace use of fossil fuels, a topic ever more important as the whole region is increasingly struggling with the impacts of climate change.

Read more...

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07/09 2022: ANDRITZ receives contract to deliver electro-mechanical equipment and technical services for Ialy hydropower plant extension project, Vietnam

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Vietnam Electricity (EVN), a leading economic group in the energy sector in Vietnam, to supply the complete electro-mechanical equipment and technical services for the Ialy hydropower plant extension project located in Sa Thay district, Kon Tum province, and Chu Pah district, Gia Lai province, in Vietnam.

With the installation of the expansion, the total installed capacity of the Ialy hydropower plant will be increased by more than 30 % to 1,080 MW. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.

Read more in the press release

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16/8/2022: Hatta, Dubai - Penstock: Transition Zone transport to final position

By mid of March 2022 the Transition Zone (section between concrete liner D7.2 m supplied by civil work joint venture Strabag/Ozkar and steel transition liner D6.2 m supplied by ANDRITZ) was positioned successful at its final location.

The Transition Zone was pre- assembled in front of the water intake structure in the upper reservoir due its size and weight. In total, the Transition Zone has a length of 10 m, outer diameter around 7.8 m and a total weight of appr. 74 tons. The transport to its final position was executed by two SPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transporter), which were connected with a 15-m- long beam in order to support the Transition Zone. This was a very critical task as the theoretical diameter clearance of the tunnel was only 72mm.

After transportation, the final welding works of the geomembrane flange and stiffener rings were executed. Once embedded in concrete by the civil work joint venture, ANDRITZ will start with installation of the 288 m long steel liner section, installed in 6 m sections. ANDRITZ is providing also one bifurcator (D 6.2/ 2 x 4.4 m), two buried penstock (D 4.4 m) and inlet cones which are connected to the main inlet valves.

Bifurcator successfully pre-assembled

By end of April 2022, ANDRITZ has completed the pre-assembly of the bifurcator (D6.2/ 2 x 4.4 m). The bifurcator was pre-assembled in vertical position and main welds of sickle plates and connecting plates were already welded at the pre-manufacturer location in the UAE, located two hours away from Hatta site. After successfully factory acceptance test the sickle plate and connecting plates were Post Weld Heat Treated (PWHT). After PWHT, Non-Destructive Tests will be performed and, subject to successful NDT, the bifurcator will be transported in pieces to the Hatta site and installed in horizontal position at its final position between steel liner D6.2 m and the two buried inclined penstocks D4.4 m.

Hatta:

STRABAG AG, Ozkar Insaat and ANDRITZ Hydro make up the consortium partners in charge of the entire design, procurement, installation and commissioning of the 250 MW Hatta Pumped Storage Power Plant, erected some 140 km southeast of Dubai. The contract was signed with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in 2019, under supervision of Electricité de France (EDF) acting as owner Engineer appointed by DEWA in 2017. This marks the start of a project, providing renewable energy through pumped storage hydropower from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

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27/07 2022: Women connected all over the world in MINT areas – University of Applied Sciences (FH Wels Austria) Workshop for Women in Engineering 

For the second time we have been invited to give a lecture on hydropower for the University of Applied Sciences (FH Wels) at the workshop for “Women in Engineering".

Due to Corona, it was not possible to take a tour of the hydraulic test stand in Linz in 2021.  But this year we are pleased to welcome almost 30 female students from all over the world. Under the direction of Mrs. Dr. Claudia Probst, course director for agricultural technology and management, all test rigs were inspected, and many hydraulic phenomena observed. We hope we were able to inspire the one or other student for our exciting work and maybe even get an international application sooner or later!

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30/06 2022: Groundbreaking of Nenggiri Hydroelectric Power Plant, Malaysia – a milestone towards more renewable energy

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new 300-MW Nenggiri Hydroelectric Power Plant, for which the ANDRITZ-led the consortium will supply the electromechanical and hydromechanical equipment, took place on June 12, 2022.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking delegations from government and industry as well as by the customer and owner, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

Read more in the press release

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13/06 2022: LiTec Company Presentation Day in Linz, Austria

On May 19, 2022, the company presentation day took place at the HTL Linzer Technikum, LiTec for short.

The HTL is a higher technical educational institution in Linz and, with around 1,700 students and 200 teachers, one of the largest schools in Austria. 

As an international technology company, ANDRITZ also presented itself as a potential employer. Together with representatives from the turbine specialist departments, the recruiter team of ANDRITZ Hydro looked for young talents from various technical fields (design and engineering, installation, test rig, for example). The company presentation day was very successful, as there was a lively and informative exchange between numerous HTL students and ANDRITZ employees. 

We are already looking forward to the next LiTec company presentation day to have the opportunity to get in touch with young technicians again.

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01/06 2022: Sultartangi, Iceland - Signing of contract for new generator stators

After the successful commissioning of the first generator stator in September 2021, the National Power Company of Iceland, Landsvirkjun, has awarded a contract to ANDRITZ Hydro for uprating the second generator stator at Sultartangi power station in April 2022.

The scope of supply includes the uprating of the existing generator from 75 MVA to 80 MVA by changing the complete stator. The stator will be pre-stacked and wound in four pieces at the Austrian generator workshop Weiz and the stator joints are closed at the erection bay by our ANDRITZ Hydro site specialists. The works also includes the complete dismantling, reassembling, and commissioning of the generating unit.

Landsvirkjun is the main producer of electricity in Iceland, operating 19 power stations in total, consisting of 15 hydropower stations (40 units), three geothermal power stations (5 units) and one wind power field (2 windmills). Total installed power capacity is 2,148 MW with an entire generation capacity of about 14 TWh/year.

The Sultartangi Power Station, located at the Southern Region of Iceland, was built at the end of the last century and was put into commercial operation in 1999. The station utilizes water from the River Tungnaá and the River Thjórsás, as the two rivers are joined in the Sultartangalón Reservoir above the station.

After successful delivery and project execution for the greenfield projects HPP Karahnjukar and HPP Búrfell Extension, the Sultartangi contract award continues our excellent customer relationship with Landsvirkjun, strengthening our Service and Rehab market position for future projects in Iceland and worldwide.

Technical details:
Scope output: 2 x 80 MVA
Voltage: 11 kV
Speed: 136.36 rpm
Av. annual production: 1,020 GWh

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23/05 2022: TUday22 in Vienna – Looking for young talents

On 12 May 2022, Austria's largest job and career fair for technicians took place at TU Wien – the TUday22.

As an international technology company, ANDRITZ also presented itself as a potential employer. Together with representatives from the technical departments, the recruiter team of ANDRITZ AG and ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH was looking for young talents from various technical fields. The day at the fair was very successful, as there was a lively and informative exchange between a large number of TU students and ANDRITZ employees. 

We are already looking forward to the next TUday to have the opportunity to get in touch with young technicians again.

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March 2022: ANDRITZ Hydro Austria has obtained an ISO 27001 Information Security Management System certification

Over the last years the Hydro Automation business has demanded an elevated standard of information security and our customers - often working in the field of critical infrastructure - increasingly needed to comply with industry standards like ISO 27001.

This has led to challenging internal, mostly manual procedures in answering this demand. Therefore, Hydro Austria has started a project to establish an "ISMS"-System ("Information Security Management System") according to ISO 27001 in 2019.

After more than a year of elaboration and documentation together with our global ANDRITZ IT-Team and the valuable guidance by an external consulting team we can now proudly report that the initial certification could be completed successfully by end of February 2022. This will allow us to have an easier first answer to our customers’ requirements and abbreviate the additional discussion about details and evidence of our establishment of standards.

We see the same demand coming up in other Group-companies and will therefore take additional advantage of this initial investment. Given our global and segregated IT-Setup this exercise was only possible with a seamless team effort between Hydro Automation, Hydro IT, QM and ANDRITZ Group IT. Therefore, we want to thank all the experts who have contributed to this initial success - it has been a federal and still unifying exercise. 

Download PDF´s here: DE /EN.

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March 2022: ANDRITZ and EGAT cooperate on joint development and modernization of hydropower business

International technology group ANDRITZ and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly explore and expand business opportunities for hydropower projects in Thailand and surrounding countries.

EGAT is the state-owned power utility under the Ministry of Energy and the largest power producer and supplier in Thailand.

Read more in the press release

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March 2022: Wehr, Germany – Signing of follow-up order for generator rehabilitation

After the successful commissioning of the generator unit B09 in November 2021, ANDRITZ is happy to now be awarded the follow-up order of the next unit to be rehabilitated at the Wehr pumped storage plant in Germany.

The pump storage plant Wehr has a total capacity of about 910 MW (turbine mode) / 980 MW (pump mode) and provides about 1,000 GWh of clean and climate-friendly energy per year. With its four generating units, it is the biggest power plant of Schluchseewerk AG, which is mainly owned by EnBW and RWE.

The new generator for unit B10 will be a robust machine capable of withstanding a high number of load changes and with excellent efficiency. The air-cooled generator cooling system is reducing costs, improving maintenance friendliness, and increases the availability of the unit. Like the new generator for unit B09, which had to be redesigned especially to the requirements of Wehr, the new generator will be designed and manufactured in the Generator Competence Centers Vienna respectively Weiz, Austria.

The generators for the pumped storage plant Wehr set new records as they are the world's most powerful horizontally designed motor-generators with air cooling. We are proud to be part of this project and not only support our customer in rehabilitating this important power plant but to provide perfectly optimized and specified products.

Technical details:
Total output of the power plant: 910 MW (turbine) / 980 MW (pump)
Scope output: 300 MVA
Voltage: 21 kV
Av. Annual production: about 1000 GWh

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March 2022: Tekapo B, New Zealand - Turbine upgrade project installation complete

The last turbine at Tekapo B has been commissioned in February 2022 and has recently successfully completed its endurance run.

ANDRITZ is proud to have delivered another high efficiency turbine to a New Zealand customer. 

At the end of 2016, ANDRITZ was awarded a contract for the refurbishment of the Tekapo B hydropower plant located at Lake Pukaki at the end of the Tekapo Canal in the South Island, New Zealand. The plant has two vertical Francis units with a combined capacity of about 160 MW. The owner, Genesis Energy, is one of the largest electricity generators and retailers in New Zealand. It owns a generation fleet comprised of thermal, hydro and wind generation, with a total MW generation capacity of 1,651 MW. 

The upgrade significantly improves the efficiency of the turbine, reduces maintenance and complexity by eliminating the relief valve and has significantly improved hydraulic stability and vibration of the machine. The installation works included installing the new turbine parts, maintenance works on the generator stator and rotor, and repair of the retained parts. 

This is another major project completed by ANDRITZ's installation team in New Zealand and has again demonstrated our commitment to partnering with our customers to deliver a high-quality machine assembly in the challenging COVID environment.

Technical data:
Output: 2 x 80 MW

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February 2022: ANDRITZ to modernize second generating unit at the Jebba hydropower plant in Nigeria

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited for the modernization of another generating unit at the Jebba hydroelectric power plant on the Niger River.

This contract follows an order to modernize the first unit 2G6 received in January 2021. Commissioning has been scheduled for beginning of 2024. 

Read more in the press release

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January 2022: Wehr, Germany –Commissioning of world’s most powerful horizontal generator

In November 2021, the commissioning of the new generator in the pumped storage power plant Wehr in Germany has successfully taken place and all guarantees were achieved.

The customer is highly satisfied with the ANDRITZ equipment and service. This milestone marks the end of a long road of a very challenging project.

Originally built in the 1970ies, the pumped storage plant Wehr has a total capacity of about 980 MW (910 MVA generators) and provides about 1,000 GWh of clean and renewable energy per year. With its four generating units, it is the biggest power plant of Schluchseewerk AG, which is owned by EnBW and RWE.

In the years 2008 to 2012, during a rehabilitation the generators were all replaced by new air-cooled ones. However, a short circuit of machine block B09 occurred in December 2019.

A new generator was needed, a robust machine with high availability, capable of withstanding a high number of load changes. After a long R&D design phase and numerous recalculations and simulations, ANDRITZ could present a convincing offer for a new, highly efficient, air-cooled generator including a new ventilation system. The design was very challenging with a nominal voltage of 21 kV, an unusual stator bar geometry and the re-using of the existing rotor. ANDRITZ put its best heads for generator design in the Generator Competence Centers Vienna and Weiz (Austria) to the project and they have impressively demonstrated their competence and willingness to exceed technological limits to supply perfectly optimized and specified products to our customers.

A very personal touch makes this project even more appreciated by us. One of our project managers, who was involved in the project from the beginning and was also one of the driving forces behind this excellent technical solution, Erwin Heimhilcher, unfortunately passed away during the implementation phase. To show our and the customer's appreciation, the B09 generator now bears its own name plaque showing his name.

With this successful project ANDRITZ sets new records as it is by far the world's most powerful horizontally designed engine generator with air cooling. We are proud to have been part of this challenging project and to have supported the customer in restoring the power plant to its full capacity.

TECHNICAL DETAILS:
Total output: 980 MW /910 MVA
Scope output: 300 MVA
Voltage: 21 kV
Av. Annual production: about 1000 GWh

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December 2021: ANDRITZ to supply complete electro- and hydro-mechanical equipment for the Nenggiri hydropower station, Malaysia

International technology group ANDRITZ – as part of a consortium – has signed a contract with TNBPG Hydro Nenggiri Sdn. Bhd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd.) to supply the complete electro- and hydro-mechanical equipment for the new Nenggiri Hydroelectric Project in Kelantan, the northeastern state of the Malay Peninsula.

Commissioning is scheduled for the middle of 2026. The contract value for ANDRITZ is more than 100 million euros.

Read more in the press release

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December 2021: ANDRITZ to supply electro-mechanical equipment for nine hydropower stations in Mexico

International technology group ANDRITZ has been selected by Comisión Federal de Electricidad, the national utility of Mexico, to modernize and upgrade nine hydropower stations. 

ANDRITZ will execute the order together with three local companies – GENERMEX, Hydroproject and SEISA.

Read more in the press release

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November 2021: Kidston, Australia – Successful model test 

In August 2021, the model test for the pump turbines of Kidston, a new pumped storage power plant in Australia, was carried out successfully. 

ANDRITZ has received an order from the EPC contractors McConnell Dowell and John Holland to supply the electro-mechanical equipment for the 250-MW pumped storage plant in North Queensland. Kidston will be one of the world’s first to be co-located with a solar plant. The owner and developer of Kidston is Genex Power. Commissioning of the plant is expected in 2024.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply comprises design, manufacturing, supply, transportation, erection, and commissioning of two 125-MW reversible pump turbine units as well as full operation and maintenance services for more than 10 years.

In August, during four intensive days, the model test of the 125 MW reversible pump turbines was undertaken in the state-of-the-art ANDRITZ test bench in Graz, Austria. The team tested the turbine model according to all requirements and the model achieved best performance values. Manufacturing is now commencing.
This Project received funding from ARENA as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program".

Technical Details:
Total output: 250 MW
Scope output: 2 x 125 MW
Head: 218 m

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October 2021: Limberg III, Austria – Groundbreaking of Austria’s most modern pumped storage power plant

In September 2021, the groundbreaking for the new pumped storage power plant Limberg III in Austria took place.

High-ranking delegations of politics, economy and of course the customer and owner VERBUND celebrated the beginning of this future-oriented power station together in the powerhouse of the well-known Kaprun pumped storage plant.

With a big bang of the blasting of the drainage tunnel, not only the opening for the new power plant were celebrated, but also the works were brought a good deal further.

The Limberg III power plant project is a pumped storage power plant with a capacity of 480 MW in turbine mode as well as in pump mode and part of the Glockner-Kaprun power plant group in the heart of the Austrian Alps. Approved in 2017 and like the in 2011 commissioned Limberg II power plant, it is being constructed completely underground between the two existing reservoirs Mooserboden (maximum water level 2,036 m) and Wasserfallboden (maximum water level 1,672 m).

ANDRITZ was awarded a contract for the design and engineering of two variable-speed asynchronous motor-generators including excitation system in May 2021. The follow-up order for the supply of the machines is expected in early 2022.

Once completed, Limberg III will be a power plant with a design particularly tailored to the future needs of the energy transition. Special machine sets will be used that can react extremely flexible to the need for balancing and control energy in the grid. In view of the increasing requirements resulting from the expansion of volatile forms of power generation, these are important services for grid stability - one of the essential prerequisites for secure and efficient power supply. 

Technical Details
Total output: 480 MW
Scope output: 2 x 280 MVA
Head: 360 m

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October 2021: Traunleiten, Austria – Official inauguration of prestigious hydropower plant

On September 18, 2021, the hydropower plant Traunleiten in Upper Austria, Austria was officially inaugurated under the presence of high-ranking political and economic delegation. In the speeches during the inauguration day, the importance of Traunleiten in the energy transition was particularly emphasized. 

Located in the suburb of the city of Wels and in operation for 120 years, the hydropower plant was now completely replaced by a new construction and top modern electro-mechanical equipment. It was the largest project in its history for the owner, Wels Strom GmbH. 

ANDRITZ was awarded a contract for the delivery of the two Compact Bulb Turbines and a substantial package of auxiliaries including the hydraulic power units, and cooling system. The two synchronous Bulb generators were manufactured at ANDRITZ's own workshop. 
The pioneering hydropower plant on the Traun River was built in harmony with nature using top-tier technology within only 26 months. The project is targeting an 80% increase in power output with a hydroelectric power production of 91 GWh annually. Traunleiten together with the already existing hydropower plant provides sustainable and clean energy supply for over 60,000 local people for the next generations.
ANDRITZ is proud to be part of this trendsetting project and to support the supply of green secure electricity to the population of Wels.

Technical data:
Total output: 17.5 MW
Scope: 2 × 9.2 MW
Head: 15 m
Voltage: 10.5 kV
Speed: 200 rpm
Runner diameter: 3,100 mm
Av. annual production: 91 GWh

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October 2021: Port Albern, Austria - Upper segment of Austrias largest sliging gate now installed

After the installation of the lower segment of the new sliding gate in the Port Albern at beginning of September 2021, now on September 7th, the upper segment was also successfully installed.

In 2019, ANDRITZ has been awarded with the supply of the flood protection gate. Three submersible pumps with a total capacity of almost 2,000 l / sec will regulate the water level within the harbor basin. Other facilities such as an ice-free system, sill- and inlet structure flushing, and stop log for the gate chamber complement ANDRITZ’s scope. With a length of about 33 m, a height of 14 m and a weight of more than 250 tons this will be the largest sliding gate in Austria.

Both segments were manufactured in Turkey and were transported over more than 1,500 kilometers to their final destination – the Port Albern on the river Danube in Vienna, Austria. 

The renewal of the sliding gate is part of a million-euro safety project along the Danube. The new sliding gate shall protect Port Albern and further strengthen this business location. With its five large granaries of a total capacity of 90,000 tons, Port Albern is one of the most important locations for the transshipment of grain in the east of Austria.
 

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September 2021: ANDRITZ to supply synchronous condensers for EnergyConnect, Australia

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from SecureEnergy, a joint venture between the Spanish company Elecnor, an energy infrastructure specialist, and the Australian engineering and construction company Clough, to supply the electro-mechanical equipment for four synchronous condenser plants in New South Wales.

The first shipment of components will commence in 2022, with commissioning starting immediately afterwards.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply comprises the engineering, design, manufacture and delivery as well as technical consulting during installation and commissioning of four 120 MVA salient pole synchronous condensers, including the balance of plant equipment. All four condensers will be engineered, designed, and manufactured in Austria.

Read more in the press release

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July 2021: PSP Kidston, Australia – Ground-breaking Ceremony

After reaching financial close, the owner Genex Power invited to the ground-breaking ceremony for the 250 MW flagship project Kidston in Far North Queensland, Australia, on June 10, 2021.

Selected guests were transported with chartered flights from  Cairns to Kidston to visit the site at the old abandoned gold mine, where the iconic pumped storage plant will be located. The ceremony included speeches, a site tour and interviews.

The first speech “Welcome to the country” was held by Jenny Lacey Director of Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation, followed by speeches from Ralph Craven, Chair Genex Power, and James Harding, CEO Genex Power; Federal & State Governments; State Member for Traeger, and The NAIF & ARENA.

In April 2021, ANDRITZ has received an order from a joint venture formed by EPC contractors McConnell Dowell and John Holland to supply the electro-mechanical equipment for the 250-MW Kidston pumped storage plant in North Queensland. Kidston will not only be Australia’s first pumped storage plant for more than 40 years, but also one of the world’s first to be co-located with a solar plant. Commissioning of the plant is expected in 2024.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply comprises design, manufacturing, supply, transportation, supervision of installation, and commissioning of two 125-MW reversible pump turbine units as well as full operation and maintenance services for more than 10 years.

This Project received funding from ARENA as part of "ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program".

Technical Details:
Total output: 250 MW
Scope output: 2 x 125 MW
Head: 218 m

Read more about Kidston:

ANDRITZ press release about Kidston  

The Kidston project in the web

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June 2021: ANDRITZ Hydro - Groundbreaking for the world’s most powerful test rig

On Jun-7th 2021, Mr. Markus Schneeberger, Chief Technology Officer of ANDRITZ Hydro, together with partners and ANDRITZ employees celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new ANDRITZ test rig in Linz, Austria.

As one of the world’s major turbine manufacturers, ANDRITZ considers it vital to maintain a leadership role in research and development. However, this requires continued investment to elevate the current turbine model testing technology to new levels. In order to remain at the top, ANDRITZ has now initiated an extensive program of R&D investment at the core of which is a new high-performance test rig.

Fully compliant with the relevant IEC standard 60193 (hydraulic turbines, storage pumps and pump turbines – Model acceptance tests), this new test rig will be the strongest universal test bed in the world. As such it will be able to test any turbine type from a low head bulb unit up to high head multi-stage pumps and will be more than twice as strong as the most powerful test rig currently available at ANDRITZ. It will enable not only research work, but also performance testing for customer acceptance tests. It will help to meet the very highest standards and the most extreme customer expectations of state-of-the-art testing technology.

Performance Data
• Maximum testing head: 250 m
• Maximum discharge: 1.75 m3/s
• Maximum testing power: 1.25 MW
• Maximum torque: 6,000 Nm

The new test rig is expected to go into commercial operation by the end of 2021.

The whole team and especially the colleagues from our RD department are proud to be part of such an important project marking a milestone for ANDRITZ Hydro.

Read more about the test rig in Linz. 

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May 2021: Gerlos 1, Austria – An entire new generator unit for important storage powerplant

ANDRITZ received a contract from VERBUND to supply one horizontal generator unit for the Gerlos I storage power plant right in the heart of the Alps, Tyrol, Austria.

Currently, four vertical, two-jet units (16 MW resp. 17 MW bottleneck capacity each), built in 1948, are in operation in the Gerlos I powerhouse. The planned project now envisages rebuilding the interior of the powerhouse with a new foundation and installation of one horizontal, six-jet Pelton unit instead.

The scope for ANDRITZ comprises an entire new generator set including auxiliaries, excitation, erection, and commissioning. The project will be executed by an Austrian team, the components will be manufactured in the ANDRITZ workshop in Weiz, Austria. Commissioning is scheduled for mid-2022.

The storage powerplant group Gerlos comprises the power plants Gerlos and Funsingau. Together they have a total output of about 225 MW and are producing 347 GWh of sustainable clean energy from natural inflow. The powerplant group is located in a well-developed valley in Austria, right in the heart of the Austrian Alps. The high mountain reservoir serves as a recreational area where people can go hiking, mountain biking, swimming, sailing and surfing.

The order for the new generator set for Gerlos I is proof of ANDRITZ’ good position in the Austrian hydropower market and excellent generator know-how.

Technical Details:
Scope output: 92 MVA
Head: 610 m
Speed: 500 rpm
Voltage: 12.5 kV