The Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station is a pumped-storage

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

in the Thueringer Mountains at the upper run of the river Schwarza in Goldisthal, Germany. It was constructed between 1997 and 2004. It has an installed capacity of , the largest hydroelectric power plant in Germany and one of largest in Europe.History and characteristics of Goldisthal pumped-storage power plant
, VattenFall.com website, 6 February 2012. Retrieved October 2013. Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station is owned and operated by

Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...

(Vattenfall Wasserkraft GmbH).

Facility

The upper reservoir is located at an altitude of . It has an active (or usable) capacity of 12 million m³ and a surface area of 55 hectares. In order to create this basin, the mountain summit was cleared away. This stored quantity of water is enough for eight hours of operation. This corresponds to a maximally storable

electric power Electric power is the rate of transfer of electrical energy within a electric circuit, circuit. Its SI unit is the watt, the general unit of power (physics), power, defined as one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with oth ...

quantity of 8.5 GWh with the existing height difference between storage basins and turbines. Two 800 m long penstocks, inclined at approximately 25 degrees serve as a conduit for water transfer. The lower reservoir has a capacity of . The power station contains four 265 MW Francis pump turbines.

Construction

From the outset of planning of this power station, it met with opposition and was contested with broad resistance from

environmental protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...

groups, in particular from the Green League. The project was first discussed in 1965 and in 1975 geological investigations were carried out. Planning was halted in 1980–1981 due to funding issues but was then resumed in 1988. Construction eventually began in 1997 and the first generators were commissioned in 2003. It was officially opened on 30 September 2003. In 2004, all four generators were commissioned. The construction costs amounted to 600 million euros.

References

External links

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Goldisthal PSPS
at Vattenfall {{Authority control Dams completed in 2004 Energy infrastructure completed in 2004 Pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in Germany Thuringian Forest

Facility

Construction

See also

References

External links