ANDRITZ to supply hydro- and electro-mechanical equipment for the new Abdelmoumen pumped storage hydropower plant, Morocco

GRAZ, MARCH 6, 2018. International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order – as part of a consortium – from l’Office Nationale de l’Électricité et de l’Eau potable (ONEE) for supply of hydro- and electro-mechanical equipment for the new Abdelmoumen pumped storage hydropower plant located on the River Issen in Taroudant Province, about 140 km southwest of Marrakech, Morocco. The order value for ANDRITZ is over 120 million euros. Construction work will start in the first half of 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2022.

ANDRITZ’s scope of supply comprises design, manufacturing, delivery, installation, supervision, and commissioning of two 175 MW reversible pump turbines, motor generators, and electrical power systems. The consortium leader, the French company VINCI CONSTRUCTION GRANDS PROJETS, 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 700 m of tunnels made of sections of between 3.5 and 5 m in diameter, and three shafts up to 60 m in height.

To provide a reliable base for the design of the pump turbines, ANDRITZ conducted broad research and model testing activities. Operating under the outstanding, high net head of about 554 m, 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.

Abdelmoumen will cover peak-load energy demands and provide rapid response power to regulate the Moroccan grid.

ANDRITZ GROUP

ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metal working and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial segments. Other important fields of business are animal feed and biomass pelleting, as well as automation, where ANDRITZ offers a wide range of innovative products and services in the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) sector under the brand name of Metris. In addition, the international technology Group is active in power generation (steam boiler plants, biomass power plants, recovery boilers, and gasification plants) and environmental technology (flue gas cleaning plants) and offers equipment for the production of nonwovens, dissolving pulp, and panelboard, as well as recycling plants.

A passion for innovative technology, absolute customer focus, reliability, and integrity are the central values to which ANDRITZ commits. The listed Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria. With over 160 years of experience, 25,600 employees, and more than 250 locations in over 40 countries worldwide, ANDRITZ is a reliable and competent partner and helps its customers to achieve their corporate and sustainability goals.

HYDRO

ANDRITZ Hydro is one of the leading global suppliers of electromechanical equipment for hydropower plants. With over 175 years of accumulated experience and more than 31,000 turbines installed, totaling approximately 430,000 megawatts output, the business area provides the complete range of products, including turbines, generators, and additional equipment of all types and sizes – “from water to wire” for small hydro applications to large hydropower plants with outputs of more than 800 megawatts per turbine unit. ANDRITZ Hydro has a leading position in the growing modernization, refurbishment, and upgrade market for existing hydropower plants. Pumps (for water transport, irrigation of agricultural land, and applications in various industries) and turbogenerators for thermal power plants are also assigned to this business area.