Halfway point reached in the expansion of the Forbach pumped storage power station

Tunneling

Halfway point reached in the expansion of the Forbach pumped storage power station

Forbach , 05.02.2026 / Tunneling

A major milestone in the project was reached in mid-January at the construction site of the Forbach pumped storage power plant. The project team has confirmed that 50 per cent of the total work has been completed. Representatives from PORR Tunnelbau took advantage of the occasion to visit the site and get a comprehensive picture of the construction progress.

Group photo in the tunnel. Several people wearing safety clothing can be seen. — © PORR
Halfway point reached in the expansion of the Forbach pumped storage power station

Since 2023, PORR tunnelling has been carrying out extensive renovation work on the Rudolf Fettweis plant in Forbach on behalf of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG. The existing storage and run-of-river power plant is being converted into a modern pumped storage power plant.
Significant construction phases have been completed in recent months. For example, the time-hardening concrete around the suction pipes of the Murg plant has been completely installed in the cavern. At the Schwarzenbach plant, the initial concrete for the installation of the suction pipes is nearing completion, so that installation work can begin on schedule at the end of January. Tunnelling in secondary tunnel II is also proceeding according to plan and is expected to be completed by the end of January or early February 2026. This means that the tunnelling work is nearing completion.