Gepatschspeicher
| Gepatschspeicher | |||||
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| Coordinates | 46 ° 55 '52 " N , 10 ° 44' 29" E | ||||
| Data on the structure | |||||
| Construction time: | 1961-1964 | ||||
| Height of the barrier structure : | 153 m | ||||
| Crown length: | 600 m | ||||
| Power plant output: | 395 MW | ||||
| Operator: | TIWAG | ||||
| Data on the reservoir | |||||
| Water surface | 2.6 km² | ||||
| Reservoir length | 6 km | ||||
| Storage space | 138 000 000 m³ | ||||
The Gepatschspeicher is located in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the rear Kaunertal .
It feeds the Kaunertal power station of the state-owned TIWAG in Prutz over a gradient of 793 to 895 m. The reservoir , which has a storage volume of up to 138,000,000 m³ and an area of 2.6 km² when fully dammed, is fed by the creeks of the Kaunertal , some of which are led into the reservoir via tunnel systems. In addition, water from the neighboring Pitztal ( Pitze , Taschachbach) and Radurschltal ( Radurschlbach , Nauderer Tscheybach) is supplied via tunnels . In total, the catchment area is 279 square kilometers.
The facility was built from 1961 to 1964. When it was completed, the embankment was 600 m long and 153 m high, making it the tenth highest in the world. The length of the reservoir is about 6 km. The Kaunertal power plant can generate 661 gigawatt hours of electricity in an average year. In the Prutz powerhouse there are five double pelton turbines with a total output of 395 MW.
The Kaunertal Glacier Road, which is subject to toll, leads past the Gepatsch reservoir .
Expansion project
TIWAG , the operator of the power plant, is currently involved in the construction of a pumped storage power plant in Kaunertal as part of the Ötztal-Pitztal-Kaunertal power plant chain. The project is, however, economically and ecologically controversial, among other things because the operation of the planned project is based on the use of electricity from nuclear and coal-fired power plants and major changes to the landscape would be necessary in areas that are partially protected by NATURA 2000 . The current, extended variant provides for the construction of a second storage facility. In the first drafts, the new storage facility was located in the “Fernergries”, below the Gepatschferner and mostly within the Natura 2000 area. The secret plans of TIWAG, which had existed since 2009, to pursue the almost untouched Platzertal above Tösens as the easiest way to implement the new location of the reservoir , came to the public in May 2010. Previously, a sponsorship of TIWAG in favor of the Kaunertal mayor in the amount of 40,000 euros had become known. In July 2010 the project for an environmental impact assessment was submitted to the Tyrolean provincial government . The Venter Ache , the Gurgler Ache as well as the Ferwall and Königsbach near Obergurgl are to be dammed and diverted to obtain water . The WWF rated the project based on the criteria catalog of the Federal Environment Ministry as "ecologically devastating" and several environmental organizations pointed out that according to the law, the water management framework plan submitted by TIWAG should only aim at the protection and rehabilitation of rivers, but not at their use for energy purposes . In addition, the expansion would not make economic sense, whereas TIWAG board member Wallnöfer described the power plant as “indispensable”.
Danger situation
The thawing of the permafrost soils in the Alps destabilizes the mountain slopes, also in the vicinity of the reservoir. The slope of the Bliggferner slid 20 centimeters a day in 2007, increasingly tearing open the glaciated slope structure. This increased the likelihood of a sudden slide into the reservoir. As a result, a tidal wave would have to be expected that would overcome the dam; in the worst case, damage to the dam itself could also be expected.
gallery
The Kaunertal Glacier Road along the Gepatsch reservoir, with the dam in the background.
Road over the dam, view from the eastern side.
Gepatschspeicher in December 2015.
Individual evidence
- ↑ New impossible storage location: TIWAG takes a hasty flight to the front, dietiwag.org from May 15, 2010, accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Neither yes nor no to the new power plant plan, ORF Tirol from May 15, 2010, accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ The decision has now been made - many people in Tösens have fear in their necks, mein district.at , accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Kaunertal: Around 50,000 landed on Sparbuch, ORF Tirol from May 12, 2010, accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ "A balanced overall solution", rundschau.at of July 10, 2010, accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Project area: Expansion of the Kaunertal power plant ( memento from November 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on the TIWAG website , accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Catastrophic "eco-certificate" for the TIWAG power plant Kaunertal, ( Memento from June 30, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ "Rütlischwur" of environmental organizations against power station Kaunertal, wwf.at of 27 March 2012 called on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Expert opinion: Kaunertal power plant "Discontinued model", orf.at of November 30, 2012, accessed on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Permafrost - And then the summit was gone ( Memento from December 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Süddeutsche, December 27, 2007.
