Tauernmoos power station

35-ton spiral transported to Enzingerboden

The 35-ton steel spiral on the construction site at Enzingerboden.(Bild: ÖBB/Thöni)

A key part of the ÖBB Tauernmoos pumped storage power plant was transported from the port of Linz to Uttendorf and on to Enzingerboden during the night hours. The tight bends in the Stubachtal valley were particularly arduous.

Work on the ÖBB Tauernmoos pumped storage power plant has been underway deep in the mountain since 2020. The core piece for the construction site, which leads from Enzingerboden in the Stubachtal valley near Uttendorf up to 2250 meters above sea level - underground - was delivered in the past 24 hours.

The 35-ton spiral started at the port of Linz during the night and was delivered to the Oberpinzgau region by special transport. There it was dismantled into several individual parts for transportation and brought to the mountain by a self-propelled truck. 

The heavy transport moves towards its destination in the interior of the mountain(Bild: ÖBB/Thöni)

Over the coming weeks, the 7.7 meter long spiral will be assembled and concreted into the foundations of the power plant. The turbines and generators will then be installed.

Electricity from hydropower for ÖBB trains
The spiral is the largest part of the turbine, of which there are two in the pumped storage power plant. Its shape resembles a snail shell. Up to 40,000 liters of water per second will flow through its interior to the turbine in the coming year.

Once completed, the Tauernmoos power plant will supply ÖBB with electricity. The mega project has been under construction in Uttendorf since 2020. Cost: 335 million euros. The pumped storage power plant high above the Enzingerboden is an extension of the existing ÖBB power plants. The Tauernmooss reservoir, built in 1926, and the Weißsee will be connected to each other to generate energy.