Sustainable hydropower from the Tyrol. For the Tyrol.
If you are striving to achieve energy autonomy, like the Austrian state of Tyrol, you need to be aware that autonomy requires both the sustainable conservation and the sustainable generation of energy. This makes domestic renewable hydropower a valuable source of energy in the truest sense of the word. At TIWAG we are implementing the expansion of the Sellrain-Silz to make the energy supply in our region safer, more autonomous and eco-friendly, thereby contributing significantly to the energy transition. By harnessing renewable energy from Tyrolean hydropower, we are providing energy supply security for future generations.
Ensuring supply security:
Electricity supply security means that there is a balance of production and consumption at any time and that we become ever less dependent on foreign energy imports. The Sellrain-Silz group of power plants is capable of achieving this by generating energy at any time, on demand, flexibly and at very short notice, as the installation has proven ever since it first opened in 1981. The expansion by a third reservoir and an additional pumped storage power station will considerably increase this capacity and flexibility.
Advancing the energy transition:
It is one of the big challenges of our time to achieve supply security with renewable, zero-carbon sources of energy rather than with the fossil fuels and nuclear power of the past. But because wind and solar energy fluctuate heavily or are even unavailable at times, we need reliable balancing and backup energy. This energy is provided safely and securely by storage power stations and by pumped storage power stations in particular.
Increasing efficiency:
We have been operating hydropower plants for almost 100 years and are continuously striving to improve the efficiency of our plants. With our expansion project, an additional 216 mio kWh of renewable energy will be supplied to the electricity grid every year. What is more, the efficiency of the existing plants will increase sustainably by 15 mio kWh per year.
Minimising interventions:
Every expansion of hydropower inevitably comes with interventions in nature. However, important existing infrastructure is already available in Kühtai. Existing roads and electricity lines can be used during construction and in subsequent operation. This means less impact on our natural environment.
Creating a balance:
A number of measures is required to compensate for the inevitable ecological interventions, to mention only improvements to alpine pastures and forests in Kühtai, the renaturalization of built-up sections of the River Inn and the Ötztaler Ache stream, and the conversion of existing transverse river structures to ensure the safe passage of fish.
Giving the Tyrolean economy a boost:
Relying on local hydropower ultimately means investing in the domestic economy, creating jobs and advancing regional development. Our aim is to help shape not only the sustainable supply of electricity in Tyrol but the sustainable future of the country overall.
The expansion project in Kühtai contributes to the energy transition not just in Tyrol but also in Austria and in Europe.