A modern pumped storage power plant is currently being built in Forbach, which will contribute to grid stability and the energy transition in Baden-Württemberg in the future. iC is supporting the project with planning services in the field of tunnel construction, thereby ensuring that the project is implemented on schedule and safely.
Project scope and objectives
The aim of the modernisation is to technically upgrade the existing power plant and expand it with underground facilities. In future, surplus energy from renewable sources will be stored and fed back into the grid as needed. The conversion will increase the efficiency of the system and the flexibility of the power supply.
Technical implementation
The project involves the construction of a power plant cavern, several tunnels and pressure shafts, as well as additional civil engineering works. The cavern power plant will be connected to the existing equalisation reservoir via the 1,010-metre-long main tunnel. Significant progress was made in the summer of 2025: After the breakthrough from the cavern to the Schwarzenbach underwater tunnel, upward drilling work was carried out on the Murg shaft. In mid-September, the main tunnel was successfully broken through – an important milestone in the project’s progress. Particular attention is being paid to environmental protection and occupational safety. The project area is located in the upper Murg Valley, a sensitive region of the Black Forest, where all construction phases are being accompanied by ecological monitoring.
Outlook
The excavation work in the cavern is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. With commissioning planned for 2027, the modernised pumped storage power plant will contribute to a secure and flexible energy supply and strengthen the region's energy future in the long term.
