Two companies that have been making their mark on the Central European hydropower market for decades are sora – innovative turbine manufacturers from South Tyrol’s Puster Valley, and en-co – the renowned specialists in energy and control technology from Ratschings. Both stand for completely bespoke solutions, almost all of which are developed and manufactured in-house. The close collaboration between en-co and sora ensures they are able to offer ‘water-to-wire’ power plant solutions based on the principle of developing solutions jointly to provide technically coordinated mechanical and electrical engineering from a single source. Several recent exciting reference projects have shown how these two industry specialists in power plant technology are increasingly winning over operators in the hydropower market across Central and Eastern Europe – and now beyond – separately, and in collaboration.
Two Specialists Combine Their Expertise for Modern Hydropower Projects
South Tyrol has long been regarded as a hydropower stronghold, as more than 1,000 hydroelectric plants shape the energy supply of Alto Adige, the autonomous region boasts one of the longest-established traditions of hydropower in Europe. Consequently, it’s no surprise that a high-performance, highly specialised technology sector – particularly for small-scale hydropower – has developed in this environment. Two companies that have played a major role in shaping this profile over the past decades are en-co, led by Matthias Steindl, and sora, headed up by Andreas Steindl. Both operate as successful independent market entities and, as partners in very close contact, they present a well-coordinated team that displays an impressive combination of strengths for every project. Both Managing Directors unanimously emphasize that the key to the successful implementation of projects lies in the company’s own employees—their experience and high level of expertise.
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Zürsbach Hydropower Plant Demonstrates Compact Pelton Technology
One project in which sora and en-co were able to demonstrate their combined capabilities in impressive style was the Zürsbach power station in the town of Lech am Arlberg. The run-of-river power station utilises a natural head of around 137 metres to become another key step forward for the region’s sustainable energy supply. Two modern and extremely compact 5-nozzle sora Pelton turbine sets process up to 2 m³ of water per second, generating an average annual output of around 7.5 GWh of clean electricity – enough to serve around 15 % of local demand. It’s important to mention the exceptional compactness of the turbines, due to the ring conduit integrated into the housing. The concrete-encased construction ensures additional advantages in terms of vibration and noise emission reduction. A system with two identical units facilitates high flexibility in the face of strongly fluctuating water flows, and increased operational reliability is achieved by using identical spare and wear parts.
en-co submitted the successful bid for the requisite electrical engineering contract, and their sophisticated and practical solutions also convinced operators in Lech. The customers highlighted a clearly laid-out control system that enables simple operation and flexible operational data analysis.
Pipe Turbine Revitalises Historic Hydropower Plant in Ahrntal
Another example of the professional collaborative relationship between these companies can be found in St. Johann in South Tyrol’s Ahrntal Valley. The historic town-centre hydropower infrastructure was recently brought back to operative life using the latest technology, and has now been transformed into a high-performance green energy plant. The beating heart of the plant is a machine set designed, manufactured and supplied by sora, comprising a double-regulated Kaplan pipe turbine and a directly-coupled submersible generator. The shaft is diagonally mounted to ensure the force of the water hits the turbine blades at the minimum deflection angle. Meanwhile, the generator protrudes into the headwater for efficient water-cooling. The design harmonises the needs for efficiency and remarkable compactness. There are no changes in flow direction from inlet to turbine, or turbine to suction pipe, so this boosts efficiency even further. The plant is designed to accommodate a flow of 13m³/s from a head of 3.20 metres and achieve a maximum output of 340 kW. This is a significant leap up from the 15 kW produced by the old plant. Today, the power station generates around 1.3 GWh of clean electricity every year, underscoring sora’s expertise in the low-pressure sector.
As with numerous other projects, the sora / en-co partnership proved its worth yet again. en-co supplied all the requisite electrical and control equipment – their modern and practical solutions ensuring this plant can now operate at the cutting edge of technology, too.
Integrated Water Management for the Schlanders Hydropower Cascade
The most complex and ambitious power plant project so far has undoubtedly been the one completed last year in the South Tyrolean municipality of Schlanders – after a lead time of over 13 years. A water management system spanning the entire valley was installed to combine the synergies of energy production, drinking water supply and agricultural irrigation. Instead of haphazard water usage across many individual plants, the concept cleverly harnesses the water in stages, and multiple reuses thereof, while also adequately taking into account energy production needs, drinking water requirements and agricultural demands. It’s no surprise the two hydropower specialists, sora and en-co, were involved yet again.
sora, the turbine manufacturer from Kiens, supplied its most powerful machines for the power stations – two modern Pelton and two Francis spiral turbines. en-co was responsible for the overarching system control technology – and Matthias Steindl’s team was able to exploit the system’s full potential in the process of creating a transparent, fair and user-friendly water management system. The system had to guarantee that both water supply and electricity generation ran seamlessly within the framework of the concessions. The en-co-developed visualisation system ensures all operations can be monitored at all times. All seven plants now communicate with one another via the digital visualisation system, an achievement described by those responsible as a “masterpiece of electrical and programming engineering”. The result is a system capable of balancing the needs of energy production and agriculture at the touch of a button, making it an Alpine region lighthouse project for the future of water management.
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Drinking Water Hydropower Plant Combines Energy and Water Supply
The Starkenbach drinking water power plant in the Tyrolean village of Schönwies again proved that sora and en-co can also leverage their strengths on smaller projects – profitably and at superior standards. sora designed and delivered a Pelton turbine fully suitable for drinking water to make optimum use of the pressure from the Alfutz springs, where a flow rate of 18 l/s is produced from a head of 428 metres. A key feature of these applications is the use of stainless steel throughout all water-carrying components. Plant operation is impressive, reliable and efficient. A rated output of 41 kW generates around 350,000 kWh of clean energy – enough to power the village’s public buildings and street lights all year.
The control and monitoring systems posed a specific challenge as, in addition to generating energy, it was essential to ensure the security of the drinking water supply infrastructure at all times. Water law regulations stipulate that only the quantities of water actually required may be used, so the plant was designed to discharge surplus water automatically to a downstream power station. en-co solved this complex conundrum with a bespoke solution, implementing a modern control system that enables precise real-time coordination between the participating municipalities of Schönwies and Zams.
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Reference Projects Showcase Expertise Across the Alpine Region
Recent reference projects in Öxlbach, Wieden and Wiesermühle have provided impressive proof that each company is a reputed manufacturer in its own right. en-co demonstrated its expertise in control and process control technology in style at the Wieden and Öxlbach power plants. The new Öxlbach power plant in Schlitters, Tyrol, is helping the municipality to achieve energy self-sufficiency, mathematically at least, with an annual output of around 5 to 5.5 GWh. en-co also achieved an excellent standard of electrical system implementation with a small-scale hydropower plant in Wieden in Pfitschtal Valley, South Tyrol, producing an annual output of around 1.2 GWh. Both projects benefitted from sophisticated, reliable and practical solutions that ensure efficient and stable plant operation.
sora has also proven its expertise in the medium-pressure sector – at the Wiesermühle project in the Salzburg winter sports resort of Saalbach-Hinterglemm. A new small-scale hydropower plant was built to replace an outdated plant on the River Saalach. To generate an output of around 460 kW the decision was made to install a diagonal turbine, the design and construction of which required specialist know-how. Precise hydraulic design with regard to efficiency and cavitation behaviour, and the sophisticated kinematics of its adjustable runner blades, were crucial to the project’s success. More than 20 years of experience with this type of turbine enabled sora to deliver a technically impressive and mature solution with excellent part-load efficiency, facilitating efficient energy generation across a wide operating range.
Two Specialists Cover the Full Spectrum of Small Hydropower
For decades, experts at sora have been designing, manufacturing and installing bespoke small-scale hydropower plants. Core business is comprised of building new plants, revitalising existing power stations, and providing long-term support to operators throughout a plant’s entire lifecycle. The company builds its success around well-coordinated team of approximately 25 highly technically skilled employees – a team that can contribute the experience of almost four decades to every project. The result is a comprehensive portfolio of services to ensure every plant is a start-to-finish, bespoke implementation with a one-off design. Sora relies on the latest workshops, an up-to-date machine park and a dedicated team to deliver state-of-the-art power plant solutions every time.
en-co is short for Energy-Control, and stands for comprehensive expertise in control and process control technology across all electricity-related sectors. The company’s main focus is on power plant and grid control technology, and the provision of complete electromechanical infrastructures, particularly turnkey solutions, for small-scale hydropower plants. Similarly, revitalisation and technical modernisation for existing plants is another integral aspect of the service portfolio. One of the key benefits en-co offers is a high level of vertical integration. Virtually all components for the automation of power plant systems are manufactured in-house – from control cabinets and control systems to distribution systems. The company provides an entire range of electromechanical equipment for small hydropower plants, from high-voltage systems to medium- and low-voltage set-ups, as well as control, automation and visualisation tech.