Electra-Massa (Alpiq, Switzerland)

Alpiq, Switzerland

Electra-Massa storage power plant

The Gebidem Dam captures water from the Aletsch Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the Alps. This water is channeled to the powerhouse in Bitsch, situated 750 meters below, where it is used to generate electricity. During periods of high inflow, the turbines at the Bitsch power plant process 55,000 liters of water per second. Under these conditions, the turbines handle a sediment load of up to 40 tonnes per hour.

Project info

Owner : Alpiq Suisse SA (34.55%), BKW Energie AG (16.12%), Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) (14%), AXPO Power AG (13.82%), FMV SA (11.52%), Groupe E SA (10%)
Type : Storage hydropower plant
Turbines : 3 Pelton
Constructed : 1964
Installed Capacity [MW] : 342
Reservoir Capacity [mil m3] : 9.2

01. Objectives

Develop a monitoring system that integrates indicators such as turbine efficiency, sediment concentration, runner damage index, and frequency response into a smarter decision-making and optimisation tool

Quantify the impact of new sediment-passing turbine operating conditions on sediment connectivity downstream of the reservoir