On 13 May, work began on the new access tunnel as part of the conversion of the Forbach pumped storage power plant. Now that the tunnelling work on the access tunnel at the Schwarzenbach plant has been completed, the tunnelling team has moved on to the next construction phase.
The newly started tunnel – officially called the ‘Katharinastollen’ – leads to the existing water castle as well as to the throttle valve chamber. From there, a shaft approximately 150 metres deep is expected to be excavated using the raise boring method starting in October 2025. This method enables particularly safe and efficient shaft construction from the bottom up.
The tunnel's patron is Katharina Samaan, contract manager at PORR, who plays a central role in the PSW Forbach project. With the successful start of tunnelling, this forward-looking energy project has taken another important step forward.
