HOBAS CC-GRP Pipes Prove their Worth in Bulgarian Hydropower Plant Sokolna
Hydropower plants in Bulgaria play an important role in covering peak consumption. Two particularly interesting ones have been realized with HOBAS Pipes – and they are doing an excellent job in providing the country with clean energy.
The village of Skobelevo is located in south-eastern Bulgaria on the fringes of the Sokolna reserve right in the heart of Bulgaria’s longest mountain range the Balkan Mountains. At the hydropower plant Sokolna in Skobelevo, approximately 1.5 km of HOBAS Pipes DN 1200, SN 10000, PN 6 and 10, are reliably in service since 2008.
The pipes were installed in the valley of Gabrovnitsa River, which originates at the foot of Triglaw in Balkan National Park and flows into one of the largest reservoirs of the country. The steep, stony and curvy route posed quite a challenge regarding planning and installation works.
To optimize investments as well as the plant’s efficiency, HOBAS recommended to the client to use angular cut HOBAS Pipes for the penstock. Most of the route’s curves (approx. 100) could be realized this way. The pipeline was mounted on concrete supports above ground. Apart from their various installation possibilities, HOBAS Pipes also scored with their pressure resistance – an important quality, given the hydraulic head of 70 m. Thanks to the joint efforts of the investor and HOBAS, the Sokolna power plant has now been supporting the power supply of the region 5 years with optimized capacity.