Works to extend the thermal waste utilisation plant at Zwentendorf/Dürnrohr started on schedule, in June 2007. They involve the construction of a third line to supplement the two lines already operated by the plant, in response to a marked growth in the garbage volumes to be treated by EVN Abfallverwertung NÖ, which has caused the plant to be constantly operated at its full capacity on a permanent basis.

Accordingly, the plant is to be extended from its current output of 120 MW to 210 MW by 2010. The third line will be constructed in parallel with the two existing lines and will mirror their technical concept. A new addition will be the so-called “initial bunker” which is designed to hold the additional waste as an extension of the current waste bunker.

Same as Lines 1 and 2, the new Line 3 will incinerate waste and generate steam which will then be fed to the Dürnrohr power station to produce electricity, district heating and process steam for industrial use. With this project, EVN Abfallverwertung NÖ will not just add another substantial contribution to environmentally friendly waste disposal but will, through the combined energy generation scheme with the Dürnrohr station, provide for further savings in the consumption of fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions.

The logistic concept developed by EVN Abfallverwertung NÖ, which revolves around delivering 90% of the waste by rail, is naturally also applied to its third line.

The environmental impact assessment procedure to be passed by EVN Abfallverwertung NÖ – the environmental impact statement had been filed with the licensing authority at the Lower Austrian Government on 31 May 2006 – was concluded in late April 2007 with a positive approval notice which became final and absolute in early June 2007. Construction works were started immediately afterwards. The construction and startup period will take about two years, so that Line 3 is expected to be ready for operation in 2009.

A special challenge of the extension project is provided by the fact that the two existing lines need to continue their full-scale operation. Consequently, the building works will take place side by side with the delivery and processing of some 300,000 metric tons of waste per year at the existing facilities – a major feat in terms of planning and engineering to be handled by the crew of the existing plant.