September 1, 2010

Top Plant: Timelkam Power Plant Vöcklabruck District, Upper Austria, Austria

Owner/operator: Energie AG Oberösterreich and the Swiss Groupe E

By Angela Neville, JD

Now that the 412-MW Timelkam Power Plant has replaced a 47-year-old coal-fired power plant located in the Vöcklabruck District, northern Austrians can bid auf wiedersehen (goodbye) to high levels of air pollution. Compared to its predecessor, the new gas-fired combined-cycle plant has dramatically cut CO₂ and NO_x emissions and produces seven times more energy.

Austria is famous for Alpine ski slopes, historic castles, and Mozart’s melodies. Beyond its tourist attractions, it is a prosperous country with a well-developed market economy and citizens who enjoy a high standard of living. The latest example of Austrians wedding style and function is the Timelkam combined-cycle power plant (CCPP), which is configured to also supply steam to the local district heating system. The facility’s attractive architecture is called “marriage with the sky” and is intended to symbolize the replacement of coal with natural gas, which represents a cleaner energy supply.

Austria’s annual gross electrical production is approximately 67.1 billion kWh and its consumption is about 68.65 billion kWh (2008 estimates), according to statistics from e-controls (Austrian regulators). The country exports approximately 14.93 billion kWh of electricity yearly and imports about 19.8 billion kWh (2008 estimates).

The 412-MWe/100 MWt Timelkam CCPP, which went into operation in December 2008, was built to provide for the electrical needs of the state of Upper Austria, home to the city of Linz. With its advanced turbine technology, the facility can attain an electrical efficiency of approximately 58.7% in its condensing operation while producing low pollutant emissions. With district heat extraction of up to 100 MWt, the plant utilizes up to 70% of its fuel. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per generated kilowatt-hour are two-thirds lower than emissions generated by the coal-fired power plant that formerly operated at the same location, while nitrous oxides (NO_x) are reduced by 90%. NO_x emissions are kept at an exceptionally low level of less than 20 milligrams per normal cubic meter thanks to the built-in catalytic reactor unit.