Austria's Verbund Launches 300MW Pumped Storage Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 6, Austrian utility Verbund advanced preparations for the Riedl pumped storage project, planning to initiate initial construction in the winter of 2026/2027. The pumped storage project has an installed capacity of 300MW and an energy storage capacity of 3.5GWh, located in the Danube-related hydropower system area. The project had previously been affected by litigation related to planning approvals.

The competent authority in the Passau region has issued an immediate enforcement order for the Riedl pumped storage project, allowing the project to proceed while some legal procedures remain unresolved. Verbund applied for the relevant order in June through its subsidiary Donaukraftwerk Jochenstein, advancing implementation based on mechanisms related to the public interest of infrastructure projects in Germany. The competent authority believes that the pumped storage project can reduce curtailment and related compensation costs during periods of excess photovoltaic power generation and insufficient storage capacity.

Once completed, the Riedl pumped storage project can store surplus electricity generated by over 100,000 standard residential photovoltaic systems daily and release it when the grid requires. Its storage capacity is equivalent to the daily electricity demand of approximately 350,000 households. Verbund stated that ecological monitoring will be conducted in the summer, and tenders for key equipment will be initiated, with construction preparations beginning in winter. The pumped storage project will still require attention to remaining legal procedures, equipment procurement, hydraulic engineering construction, and grid connection and operation arrangements.