Implenia acquires major contract
A consortium of Frutiger, Implenia and Ghelma Baubetriebe is to replace the dam at Lake Grimsel. The contract is worth around CHF 100 million.
Frutiger is leading the Grimsel consortium, and Implenia has a 42.5% stake in the consortium, the construction group says. The client is the Oberhasli KWO power stations. According to Implenia, the contract includes underground structures in addition to the actual construction work, as well as material preparation for the production of the more than 220,000 cubic meters of concrete that will be required. Construction work is scheduled to start this summer and is expected to last until 2025.
As Implenia's statement continues, a new double-curved arch dam will be built directly in front of the existing wall, which is around 90 years old. At 113 meters, the new structure will have the same crown height as the existing arch gravity dam and can be raised in a later phase to enlarge Lake Grimsel.
The old dam is to remain in place and be dammed on both sides, with a gallery providing hydraulic equalization of the water level. (ah)
