Danube power plant Altenwörth: Turbine fit for the new year
22.12.2021Zwentendorf, Kirchberg am Wagram
The maintenance work on Machine 8 was completed at the Danube power plant Altenwörth right in time for the holidays.
Everything that turns has to be maintained from time to time. In the drier months of the year, that means a lot of work for the VERBUND power plant operators. In Altenwörth, machine no. 8 was dammed off after 9 years of permanent operation, inspected and maintained, and will be able to generate electricity at full power again in the new year.
The Danube power plant Altenwörth with its nine Kaplan turbines is the most powerful run-of-river power plant in Austria. For that to continue, each machine must be shut down for maintenance work at regular intervals. For several weeks, VERBUND employees inspect the machine and repair damage caused by wear and tear. The permanent operation and the power of the water literally gnaw on the vanes of the mighty turbine. The main work therefore usually involves rewelding the turbine, renewing the corrosion protection and checking the impeller casing, control equipment and other mechanical and electrical systems in the heart of the power plant.
The Danube power plant Altenwörth with its nine Kaplan turbines is the most powerful run-of-river power plant in Austria. For that to continue, each machine must be shut down for maintenance work at regular intervals. For several weeks, VERBUND employees inspect the machine and repair damage caused by wear and tear. The permanent operation and the power of the water literally gnaw on the vanes of the mighty turbine. The main work therefore usually involves rewelding the turbine, renewing the corrosion protection and checking the impeller casing, control equipment and other mechanical and electrical systems in the heart of the power plant.
Clean electricity from hydropower for 580,000 households
Each of the 9 turbines has a capacity of 38,000 kilowatts. Every second, 300,000 litres of Danube water shoot through the armoured pipe. Despite enormous physical forces, the turbine runs with millimetre precision. Personnel from across the Lower Austrian power plant group were brought together for the necessary maintenance. The inspection of another turbine is on the schedule in January. Overall, VERBUND invests 24 million euros each year in Lower Austria alone in the operation and maintenance of the power plants.
