Austrian engineering group Andritz has secured a contract from Italian utility Compagnia Valdostana delle Acque (CVA) to modernise the 130-megawatt Valpelline hydropower plant in Italy’s Aosta Valley, the company said on Wednesday.
The rehabilitation contract, valued in the mid double-digit million-euro range, will be included in Andritz’s third-quarter 2025 order intake.
Commissioned in 1958, the Valpelline facility is powered by the Place Moulin reservoir—one of the largest in Europe—and operates with a net head of over 900 metres, placing it among the highest-head hydropower plants in Europe.
Under the contract, Andritz will supply two 87 MVA synchronous generators, four new Pelton runners, spherical valves, penstock components, and upgrades to the plant’s cooling and electrical systems. The company will also carry out civil works, dismantling, reassembly, commissioning, and site management.
Each generator will comply with the latest European grid code standards, according to Andritz.
Once completed, the upgrade is expected to increase Valpelline’s installed capacity by 15% and extend its role in supporting Italy’s renewable energy targets and regional grid integration.
The project will contribute to “Italy’s renewable power supply and cross-border electricity interconnection,” Andritz said in a statement.
