The Dlouhé Stráně power plant is once again accessible to the public after repairs

Loučná nad Desnou (Šumperk) - The Dlouhé Stráně pumped storage power plant in Loučná nad Desnou, in the Šumperk region, opened to the public today after nearly five months of closure. It was out of operation due to repairs to the upper reservoir and the replacement of control systems at the hydropower plant. The investment in repairs to this structural and technical monument cost approximately 360 million crowns. It was financed by its owner, the ČEZ Group, said Zdeněk Saturka, the director of the organizational unit of ČEZ hydropower plants, to journalists today.
The power plant closed its gates to the public in early May. A month and a half later, builders began a reconstruction demanded by the poor technical condition of the upper reservoir. During the two months, the construction company removed around 20,000 tons of the asphalt-concrete shell of the reservoir and replaced it with a new one.
Before the reconstruction began, ČEZ had to drain the upper reservoir, which holds nearly three million cubic meters of water, something that is not normally done. The water returned about a month ago when the operational shutdown ended.
"Until today, finishing works have been done. The work is of high quality. We expect that this time the shell should last 20 to 30 years. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, the contractor hired an external firm to oversee quality," said Saturka. The original shell had to be replaced after 11 years of the plant's operation due to point defects. This was caused by the builders using unsuitable stones during construction.
Regarding the replacement of the plant's control systems, which were part of the reconstruction, Saturka said that the originals were at the end of their lifespan. As a result, they were malfunctioning.
The Dlouhé Stráně pumped storage power plant is one of the most sought-after structural and technical monuments. Last year, it was visited by a record number of people. The monument welcomed 60,976 visitors, which is 6,701 more than the previous record set in 2005. The interest in the hydropower plant is also evidenced by today's attendance, where buses filled with tourists have been arriving since morning.
In the energy system, Dlouhé Stráně serves a role both in utilizing surplus energy, which is used to pump water from the lower to the upper reservoir, and in periods of energy shortages, when the plant can start generating electricity and supplying it to the grid within a few dozen seconds.
The construction of the power plant, designed by architect Ladislav Konečný, began in 1978. It was commissioned 18 years later.