International power and dam magazine
Andritz is to supply hydro and electro-mechanical equipment for the new Abdelmoumen pumped storage hydropower plant on the River Issen in Taroudant Province, Morocco, after winning an order as part of a consortium from developer l’Office Nationale de l’Électricité et de l’Eau potable (ONEE).
In a contract valued at over €120 million, Andritz’s scope of supply comprises design, manufacturing, delivery, installation, supervision, and commissioning of two 175MW reversible pump turbines, motor generators, and electrical power systems. The consortium leader, French company Vinci Construction Grands Project, will perform all of the important civil engineering work for the project. Both companies are combining their expertise to jointly realize the technically challenging 3 km steel-lined waterway, consisting of a 2 km-long penstock, more than 700m of tunnels made of sections of between 3.5 and 5m in diameter, and three shafts up to 60m in height.
To provide a reliable base for the design of the pump turbines, Andritz said it has conducted broad research and model testing activities. Operating under the outstanding, high net head of about 554m, the Andritz design ensures that the two pump turbines are able to accommodate 20 rapid mode changes per day and at the same time meet both the high efficiency and reliability requirements for many years to come.
Construction work will start in the first half of 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2022.
