Dillinger components for pumped-storage power plant Vianden

A problem faced since the very start by the power generation industry is the question of how do you store electrical energy – particularly in bulk? The expansion of the use of renewable energy sources results in significant fluctuations in power generation, since the wind, for example, never blows steadily all the time, and since the sun, of course, shines only during the day. The solution takes the form of so-called pumped-storage power plants. This is, in fact, the only storage technology which has been in use for decades and has been repeatedly further developed. The pumped-storage power plant operated by RWE at Vianden, Luxembourg, has one of Europe’s highest outputs. And even that had to rise: between 2010 and 2013, an eleventh turbine was installed, increasing capacity by 200 megawatt to a total of 1.3 gigawatt. Now, 78m³ of water per second flow through the 4.5 m diameter pipes when the plant is operating at full load. Remarkable outputs can thus be achieved, even at the relatively small “head” (height difference) of 280 m. The new system was commissioned in 2014. Firstly 178 pipe sections were fabricated from TM steel. Forming was followed by longitudinal welding. Pairs of sections were then welded together to create a single component of 6 m in length – all in the Dillinger Heavy Fabrication shop. After further inspection, the eighty-nine pipe segments thus produced were shipped to Vianden for installation … and our readers have already heard about the impressive result!