Kals Energie Kraftwerk, nestled in the heart of Tyrol, Austria, has taken a step forward by partnering with CyberGrid to unlock and monetize the flexibility of its hydropower plant across multiple energy markets. Kals Energie Kraftwerk operates a portfolio of hydroelectric plants, including the historic Kolsass, Mühlau/Weerberg, and Weerbach/Weer facilities. These plants, equipped with Francis spiral turbines, Pelton double turbines, and free-jet turbines, collectively deliver several megawatts of clean energy. Their infrastructure—ranging from high-head pressure pipes to multi-level intake systems—offers not only reliability but also untapped flexibility potential.
From hydropower heritage to market innovation
Kals Energie Kraftwerk has engaged in flexibility marketing for balancing services markets with its hydropower plant in Lesachbach, Austria. A key partner in this initiative is EVN Group, which provides market access for short-term trading. With extensive experience managing a diverse pool of technical units, EVN ensures full compliance with the requirements set by Austrian Power Grid (APG), the national transmission system operator. The main objective of this collaboration is to facilitate the short-term marketing of the Lesachbach plant. CyberGrid connects the technical units to EVN’s pool, while EVN optimizes their deployment using CyberNoc, a state-of-the-art flexibility management platform.
CyberGrid also developed the pre-qualification and connection concepts, which included remote integration of technical units, configuration and parameterization within EVN’s pool, monitoring of test runs, overseeing commissioning, and ongoing performance monitoring. Meanwhile, EVN is responsible for the market rule-compliant schedule management of control reserve calls and guarantees APG’s availability requirements through its strategic marketing approach. This partnership enables Kals Energie Kraftwerk to participate in balancing power markets without the need to establish its own market access or technical infrastructure, leveraging EVN’s market expertise and CyberGrid’s technical capabilities to monetize flexibility while contributing to grid stability.
CyberNoc: the engine behind flexibility monetization
CyberNoc enables real-time control and smart pooling of energy assets, allowing providers like Kals Energie Kraftwerk to participate in multiple energy markets—including FCR, aFRR, mFRR, intraday, demand response and imbalance management. The platform’s asset-agnostic design and automation capabilities make it ideal for integrating diverse hydropower units into the grid’s balancing services.
Through this collaboration, CyberGrid provides a Flexibility as a Service (FaaS) model, offering a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for unlocking and monetizing energy flexibility. This approach allows asset owners to focus on their core operations while CyberGrid ensures their flexibility is fully monetized in the most efficient and risk-mitigated way possible. This service includes: technical suitability assessments, developing connection concepts for each technical unit, supplying and configuring RTUs, managing prequalification processes for control reserve markets, ongoing monitoring and optimization, market access and bidding strategy, reports and accounting for efficient progress tracking, among other tailored options.
Economic and Ecological Impact
The partnership has already begun to yield results. By leveraging CyberNoc, Kals Energie Kraftwerk is now able to:
- Generate new revenue streams by marketing flexibility across short-term and ancillary markets.
- Enhance ecological performance through load shifting and grid loss reduction.
- Contribute to grid stability during periods of high demand or renewable volatility
CyberGrid’s forecasting tools—such as baseline and flexibility forecasting—further empower Kals Energie Kraftwerk to optimize operations and plan market participation with precision.
This collaboration exemplifies how traditional energy providers can evolve into active participants in the digital energy economy. With CyberNoc, Kals Energie Kraftwerk is not only preserving its hydropower legacy but also pioneering a future of smart, flexible, and profitable energy management.
About Kals Energie Kraftwerk
Kals Energie Kraftwerk GmbH & Co KG is an Austrian company specializing in the generation of renewable energy through hydropower. Established in 2005, the company is headquartered in Lesach, Kals am Großglockner. They are committed to providing sustainable energy solutions by harnessing the power of local water resources, contributing to the region's energy supply and environmental sustainability.
