Six Tyrolean municipalities are jointly constructing a hydropower plant as "Kraftwerk Sellrain GmbH". The work is being led by HTB Baugesellschaft. The project scope amounts to 52 million euros.
With the aim of producing clean electricity and securing a long-term source of income for the participating municipalities, the municipalities of Oberperfuss, Sellrain, Grinzens, Gries, St. Sigmund, and Unterperfuss officially launched their long-planned joint project on February 1. The construction project includes, in addition to a powerhouse, two water intakes and several kilometers of pressure pipelines. The drive water for the new hydropower plant is to be drawn from the Melach between Gries and Sellrain as well as from the Fotscherbach, channeled through a total of approximately 9,200 meters of pressure pipeline into the powerhouse, and processed through the turbines there. The drop height is about 420 meters, with an impressive 3,600 liters per second of water available for energy generation. The general contractor is HTB Baugesellschaft, which is already active in many places, such as at the water intake on the Melach and at the future junction structure in the center of Sellrain. The powerhouse itself will be constructed as a cavern, meaning a hollow space will be blasted into the rock. For this, HTB has gained a powerful partner in the group with the experts from SWIETELSKY Tunnelbau, who will work around the clock in three eight-hour shifts. The current low water period will also be used to carry out necessary stream crossings for the pressure pipelines. Construction work on the Fotsch water intake will begin in the spring.
Rapid project progress
Preparatory work in the area of the powerhouse/forecourt directly in front of the Wurmtal gallery of the Sellrain state road already started last September. As part of the work, necessary rock stabilization measures were taken, and the existing stream in the construction area was redirected. The ceremonial tunnel breakthrough, including the blessing and baptism of the "Johanna Tunnel," marked the official start of construction for the joint power plant yesterday, with tunneling and cavern excavation work set to begin in February. "However, we are already in the midst of the project," explains Ing. Dietmar Mair, managing director of HTB Baugesellschaft. "After setting up the construction site in the area of the Melach water intake, we immediately began earthworks and stabilization measures. For the swift implementation, earthworks and concrete work at the junction structure were also started simultaneously." After the concrete work, the structure will be backfilled, with the completion of this work scheduled for spring 2022. In early December, the laying of the pressure pipeline from the junction structure towards the Melach water intake already began. From mid-February, the pressure pipeline from the junction structure towards the Fotsch water intake will be laid up to the fire station. Preparations for laying the pressure pipeline and preliminary work on the access ramps of the gallery structures already started in November in the area of the Tafel gallery. Additional preliminary work regarding the laying of the pressure pipeline is planned, weather permitting.
The goal is to complete everything by the end of 2023, with the power plant expected to go online in 2024. Approximately 55 gigawatt-hours of electricity are to be generated annually – this corresponds to the needs of about 15,000 households.
