Verbund plans pumped-storage expansion at two Carinthian power stations

Verbund plans to increase electricity storage capacity at two power stations in the Malta-Reißeck group in Upper Carinthia, ORF reports. The proposal, discussed by the Carinthian state government on Monday, would add pumps at one plant and replace turbines with pump turbines at another, allowing more electricity to be stored, including for winter.

The two plants currently generate a combined 1,500 megawatts from turbines, which ORF compares with the output of six Danube power stations. A further 1,000 megawatts is used to pump water up to the Kölnbrein reservoir for storage, a system Verbund describes as a “green battery.”

At the Malta main-stage power station in Rottau, Verbund plans to install two new pumps. The state has determined that this work does not require an environmental impact assessment because the plant’s overall capacity would remain unchanged, said Adrian Plessin, head of the office of Energy Councillor Sebastian Schuschnig.

At the Malta lower-stage power station near Sachsenburg, Verbund is considering replacing the existing turbines with pump turbines. The state is still assessing whether this work requires an environmental impact assessment. The plant currently generates electricity using water from the Möll balancing reservoir in Rottau, which travels through a canal and drops 40 metres before flowing into the Drau River. After the conversion, water from the Drau could be pumped up to the Kölnbrein reservoir for the first time.

Approval procedures will determine whether noise-control conditions are required. Verbund said it plans to hold information events for residents in Upper Carinthia. The state government unanimously approved the draft decision on Monday.