Rudolf Sailer

© Lothar Lindner

„Since 2020, work has been carried out in several drives
to blast the tunnel system out of the mountain –
the new power plant is scheduled to go into operation as early as 2026.
The underground work demands a lot from man and machine.“

Rudolf Sailer

Climate change is progressing at an increasing rate and, in addition to rising average temperatures, is also causing a shortage of resources that affect our lives. To counteract this, the careful use of natural resources is becoming increasingly important.

The Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB is not only the most environmentally friendly mobility service provider, it also has a great deal of leverage when it comes to achieving Austria’s climate targets. The necessary mobility turnaround can only succeed with good public transport. The railway needs a lot of energy for this. Electricity from renewable energy sources is the central pillar for the climate benefits of ÖBB, which has been relying on 100 per cent green traction current since 2018 and has also been supplying all of its buildings and stations with green electricity since 2019. What’s more, by consistently expanding and modernising its own hydroelectric, solar and wind power plants, ÖBB and its partners aim to increase the level of self-sufficiency in traction current from 60 to 80 percent and from 11 to 67 percent for operating facilities. Another goal is to increase energy efficiency by 25 percent. 

Conclusion: More independence and relief for the public power grid. In this way, ÖBB is making an important contribution to the energy and mobility transition. The innovative Tauernmoos pumped storage power plant is an important piece of the puzzle and something special. In contrast to conventional power stations, the new power station can store large amounts of energy and utilise it when needed. The two machine sets in the underground cavern pump water from Lake Tauernmoos into Lake Weißsee, 220 metres higher up, when demand for electricity is low. This makes it Austria’s first green battery for the railway.

Photographer Rudolf Sailer has been following the construction for many years and shows the progress of the project of the century in spectacular pictures

Supported by ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG