Vorarlberger Illwerke AG has awarded Alstom a contract to supply two generators and exciters for the Obervermuntwerk II pumped-storage power station in Austria.

Under the terms of the deal, Alstom will also be responsible for the assembly and commissioning of the machines, which have an output of 180MW each. The design specifications of both generators have been specifically tailored to the power station and have excellent part-load capability in particular, Alstom said, meaning they can operate efficiently in lower and medium ranges.

Once in operation in 2018, the 360MW Obervermuntwerk II project will be Illwerke’s second-largest power station. The plant has been designed parallel to the existing Obervermuntwerk plant, and will be constructed at an altitude of 1700m asl, as an underground station between the two reservoirs Silvretta and Vermunt in Montafon.


Photo: Scheme of a pumped-storage power plant (Source: Alstom)