Precast Concrete Components for the Energy Transition – Part III: Hydropower

Figure: Max Bögl

This is how it will look like in Gaildorf – the highest wind turbine in the world combined with a water battery

Figure: Max Bögl

Construction site of the water battery pilot project in Gaildorf – an active storage reservoir in April 2017

Figure: Max Bögl

Water battery project in Gaildorf – installation of active storage within passive reservoir

Figure: Max Bögl

Sketch of the work principle used in Gaildorf

Figure: Max Bögl

Figure Fraunhofer IWES

The StEnSea concept uses hollow concrete spheres as energy storage placed in large water depths

Figure Fraunhofer IWES

Figure: Fraunhofer IWES

The precast concrete sphere tested in Lake Constance has a diameter of 3 m

Figure: Fraunhofer IWES

Figure: Hochtief Engineering GmbH

Concrete placement of the hollow sphere

Figure: Hochtief Engineering GmbH

Figure: Hochtief Solutions AG

Schematic presentation of the StEnSea concept

Figure: Hochtief Solutions AG

By the year 2015 up to 45 % of the gross power consumption in Germany should be covered by renewable resources, for example by hydropower. Part 3 of our series shows which role precast concrete components play for hydroelectric power plants, such as storage power plants or storage reservoirs, for example.

In Germany, water power (hydropower) is almost exclusively used to generate electricity. About 3.5 % of Germany‘s annual gross power generation is produced in hydroelectric power plants. This is most obviously indicated by the storage reservoirs and dams consisting of many thousand cubic meters of reinforced concrete. About 20 % of the large hydroelectric power plants are storage power plants and 80 % of them are run-of-river power plants. However, owing to the geographical layout of Germany, the potential of such building structures is almost exhausted. Consequently, scientists and...