In the summer of 2021, Brownline surveyed a 281-meter long bore at a beautiful location, in the middle of the Austrian mountains. This project commissioned by RBS Rohrbau took place in a part of Vienna, but then 170 kilometers away from the city.
The Opponitz hydroelectric power station is the oldest in all of Vienna and is operated by the Viennese local energy company. Despite the fact that this power station generates electricity for the city of Vienna, it is located in the mountains near Opponitz, 170 kilometers from the city itself. The creation of this hydroelectric power station is related to its location. The river Ybbs flows in a loop near Opponitz, spanning 126 meters in elevation. By building the hydroelectric power station at the bottom of a slope, this large difference in height could be used to efficiently drive the power station and thus generate maximum yield. To keep this monumental power station up to date, a new underground cable is replacing an overhead power cable. This will help to prevent malfunctions, while at the same time increasing capacity. The power station will therefore be able to be used safely and stably in the future.
The Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool was combined with mudmotor for this 281-meter long bore. The combination of the poorly accessible environment and rocky ground created special circumstances. Immediately above the entry and exit points, the site was impassable; the locations were difficult to reach for people and materials.
The extreme accuracy of the Drillguide GST in combination with the efforts of the RBS drilling crew and our surveyor has led to a perfect result.
This 100-year-old hydroelectric power station is ready for the next hundred years!