“We have the project ready in the drawer with all the permits. And now we’re going to open it, ”said General Director Werner Steinecker today at the presentation of the half-year figures in Linz. In autumn, the supervisory board should decide on the further steps for the construction of the power plant. It is realistic that after all the preparatory work, construction will start in two years, said Steinecker.
The pumped storage power plant is intended to help cover short-term peaks in electricity consumption. The basic principle: water from the Traunsee is pumped up when electricity is cheap. When electricity is more expensive, the water is drained and electricity is generated. Since the difference between high and low prices has been small in recent years and still is, a number of projects are still on hold for the time being. “But we assume that with the energy transition, the need for these green batteries will increase. And we don’t want to lose any time here, ”says Steinecker in an interview with OÖNachrichten.
According to current calculations, the power plant with an output of 150 megawatts will cost 210 to 220 million euros (excluding interest charges).
The first half of the year (from October 1 to March 31) went significantly better for Energie AG Oberösterreich compared to the previous year. Half-year sales rose by 9.3 percent to EUR 1.2 billion, and the operating result (EBIT) rose by 53.7 percent to EUR 118.5 million. The group grew particularly in the energy sector. For the full year, Steinecker expects sales of more than two billion euros (previous year 1.84 billion euros) and earnings at the previous year’s level (147.7 million euros)
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
