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One of ILF’s core competences is hydropower engineering. The ILF office in Bangkok was involved with various projects within Southeast Asia and beyond utilizing these competences. Notable projects include the design and implementation involvement of 130 MW Nam Emoun Hydropower Project in Lao PDR and the design of the 2,500 MW Saravan Mekong mainstream hydropower project.

ILF prioritizes sustainability, aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and emphasizing the transition to renewable energy, particularly hydropower. ILF is renowned for our expertise in hydropower and pumped storage design, offering comprehensive services from project initiation to commissioning.

ILF Thailand has integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the design process of hydraulic structures. Amongst other software, ILF makes use of Simscale for 3D CFD modeling to optimize hydraulic structures for various hydropower projects, focusing on intricate flow characteristics found in hydraulic structures such as spillways, drop structures and structures transitioning between free-flow and pressurized conditions.

While somewhat off-track from ILF Thailand’s core business, one notable case study involves the design optimization of a siphon pit within a combined cycle gas-fired power plant’s main cooling water system. Through CFD simulations using Simscale, ILF achieved several benefits, including enhanced surface protection to prevent concrete erosion, stabilization of the nappe, and reduced air entrainment in the outfall conveyance line, resulting in safer, more efficient, and robust hydraulic structures.

Read more: https://www.simscale.com/customers/ilf-power-plants/

The Rimpar Compressor Station, run by the gas network operator Open Grid Europe (OGE), is one of the most important nodes in the German and Central European Gas Network. The compressor station will play a decisive role in ensuring the security and availability of gas supply in Germany.

To accommodate the growing importance of the station and ensure gas transportation on one of the main transport routes between East and West, a completely new facility was built next to the existing compressor station between 2020 and mid-2023. The new facility covers an area of around ten soccer fields and includes approximately 6.5 kilometers of pipelines. Its construction includes the installation of three new compressor units (12 MW each) and a new gas pressure regulating and metering station with the associated interconnecting pipelines and tie-ins to the existing MEGAL pipeline system. The new facility fulfills the highest environmental requirements. The integration of the station into the neighboring gas network additionally ensures long-term security of supply along the route.

Since the beginning of the project, our team of experts has been commissioned by the operator OGE, with the basic design, detailed design, construction supervision, commissioning and the final documentation of this compressor station.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project has been the hillside location on which the new facility is built, as well as the large spatial extent of the construction site. At the start of construction, around 70,000 m³ of material was moved for levelling and terracing. Inside the station there are differences in height of almost 30 meters.

The last documents for the final documentation are currently being prepared. All necessary acceptance tests have been successfully completed. With a flow rate of 550,000 Nm³/h to 1,400,000 Nm³/h and a station design pressure of 100 bar for the main gas system, the compressor station is already in the operational phase. Regular operation was scheduled for the end of 2023. However, this has been brought forward thanks to the accelerated processing of the project by ILF, which meant that handover and the start of operation took place in mid-2023.

ILF Consulting Engineers has reached another historic milestone in its more than 50 years of engineering excellence. We are incredibly proud to have been selected as the consultant of choice for pre-development studies for utility-scale wind parks in Saudi Arabia. The objective of the assignments is to provide world-class engineering services up to a development stage where the parks can be tendered on a design-build basis. The pre-development studies shall include:

• • Preliminary site assessment
  • Preliminary and advanced design (design basis, single line diagram, energy yield assessment, Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) optimization, wind master plan)
  • Some on-site assessments (topography, hydrology, geotechnical campaign, aeronautical and radar assessment) • Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
  • Foundation recommendations (including deep and shallow foundations, retaining walls, pipeline anchors, earthworks, dikes and embankments, among others)
  • Wind measurement plan (to be considered for the client to obtain wind data)
  • Permitting engineering

The projects are being designed with a focus on sustainability, innovation and cutting edge technology – a perfect fit with ILF’s commitment to climate protection and its vision of improving the quality of life around the globe.

During 1983 – 40 years ago – the RWTS (Lines A & B) went into operation. It is the world’s first closed high-pressure water pipeline system, designed to transport 830,000 m³ of water from Al Jubayl on the Arabian Gulf over 467 km to Riyadh.

It was very courageous of ILF, a very young company at the time, to apply this innovative concept without carrying out any pilot tests. A recap of the key data: Double pipeline with a diameter of 60” (1524 mm), total head of the system: 2340 m, 6 pumping stations with an installed capacity of 430 MW.

Under the management of ILF, the RWTS was constructed on budget in just under 3 years. The technical concept has proven itself from the very beginning, with the RWTS still pumping water to Riyadh today.

ILF has made history in pipeline engineering with this project.

To this day, the RWTS serves as a technical model for many successor projects, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

But it is also a model for a decades-long client relationship based on trust and for excellent cooperation between the ILF companies involved, especially from Austria, Germany and Saudi Arabia.

Adolf Feizlmayr’s Inspiring Journey

From a farm in Upper Austria to a global engineering powerhouse, Adolf Feizlmayr’s journey is inspiring. Within ILF’s very first projects, the ambition and innovation of the two founders were evident. Their success, from pioneering projects such as the Arlberg Tunnel to the Riyadh Water Transmission System, underlines ILF’s commitment to excellence and sustainability.

ILF’s core values of respect, honesty, reliability and fairness drive the company’s global presence. Adolf Feizlmayr contributes to competence management and climate change mitigation, and supports students through the Adolf Feizlmayr Foundation.

The future of ILF is filled with promise as the company works to transform the global energy system and address climate change. With a dedicated team and forward-thinking leadership, ILF remains committed to advancing engineering excellence and sustainability.

Click here for the interview:
A.Feizlmayr – A Lifetime of Engineering Achievements

The Gut Großlappen Wastewater Treatment Plant has been in operation since 1926 and, together with the Gut Marienhof Wastewater Treatment Plant, treats the entire wastewater generated in the Bavarian state capital of Munich and the neighboring communities connected to it.
In June 2023, ILF Consulting Engineers Austria GmbH, together with GFM Bau- und Umweltingenieure GmbH, was commissioned with the overall engineering services for the implementation of a project to secure and expand the inflow capacities at the plant (assignment stage 1, service phase 1–2). This essentially comprises the screen system, grit chambers, primary and secondary sedimentation tanks as well as centrate treatment tanks. A study of alternatives to determine the most beneficial project solution forms part of the engineering services in service phase (SPH) 2. Taking account all of the assignment stages 1–3, the joint venture’s planning contract includes the construction design (SPH 1–8), structural design (SPH 1–6) and planning of the technical equipment (SPH 1–8).
Execution of the engineering services for SPH 1–7 is anticipated to take place between summer 2023 and spring 2028, an execution of the construction works is expected to take place in the period between fall 2023 and early 2032.

Since it was decided that the S 10 Mühlviertel Expressway (AUT) would be extended in 2002, ILF has been involved in helping ASFINAG with project management and project coordination, performing studies of alternatives, the preliminary design, the EIA permit application design and other individual permit procedures, as well as the detailed design for this project. In addition, ILF has delivered services relating to road design, tunnel design and tunnel safety, as well as geological/hydrogeological design, for certain sub-sections of the road.

For more than 20 years, ILF has proven itself to be a reliable partner for the planning, design and preparation of construction works for the S 10 Mühlviertel Expressway, and we are proud to have been significantly involved along the entire route.

The S 10 runs from the end of the A 7 motorway in the North of Austria, over a 38-km-long stretch, to the border crossing with the Czech Republic. The Southern Section of the expressway (approximately 22 km long) has already been completed, and was opened to traffic in December 2015.

In 2013, ILF was commissioned to prepare a conceptual study for the Northern Section of the expressway, and was subsequently also awarded the contract for project management for the preliminary design, EIA permit application design and other individual permit procedures, as well as the detailed design for the first sub-section. The construction works will start in October 2023.

In 2021, ILF was also commissioned to perform an alignment study and to deliver project management services for the selection of the final alignment for the preliminary design, EIA permit application design and other individual permit procedures for the last section of the road. Construction works for this last approximately 8.5-km-long section of the road are scheduled to start in 2028/2029.

We would like to thank ASFINAG for the trust that they have placed in us over the years, and look forward to continuing our exciting work!

Tbilisi City Hall, in collaboration with the German Development Bank (KfW), is set to implement the Sustainable Urban Mobility Program in Tbilisi (SUMP) – a program which ILF is helping to implement as part of a consulting consortium.

Over a period of five years, the project shall focus on enhancing the city’s transport infrastructure and relevant services by promoting the sustainable development of the capital’s urban transport system and infrastructure, improving the ecological situation and ensuring safe passenger transport.

SUMP will employ an integrated multidisciplinary approach to create a sustainable and environmental-friendly transport network. It will incorporate an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) to enhance passenger safety and improve traffic flow, public transport management and traffic light control.

Furthermore, the project will expand the eco-transport network, establishing a comprehensive system of bus lanes and safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. These measures aim to significantly reduce traffic-related air pollution and emissions while also promoting a healthier lifestyle.

The consulting consortium commissioned for the project consists of GOPA Infra (Germany), ILF Consulting Engineers (Austria/Georgia), the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) (Austria) and A+S Consult (Germany). This consortium has recently organized an inception workshop, which was attended by high-level officials from the city municipality, municipal council, Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, the KfW, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), municipal transport operators, the police, NGOs and other stakeholders. The consortium was represented at the workshop by ILF Georgia. This workshop summarized the overall objectives of the assignment, the timeline, key deliverables and the next steps; and was followed by a Q&A session.

The BalWin4 & LanWin1 as well as the BalWin3 & LanWin4 offshore grid connection systems in Northern Germany will, in the future, connect the large wind farms in the North Sea with the onshore transmission grid.

For Tennet Offshore GmbH, ILF is currently mapping the different biotope types for the onshore route of these systems and is identifying protected biotopes so that adverse effects on nature and the landscape can be minimized during construction of the transmission line route. As part of the mapping process, an assessment is also being made as to whether the route of the transmission line needs to be adapted again, or whether areas that are particularly worthy of protection should be crossed using the cut-and-cover method in order to avoid adverse effects being had on nature and the landscape.

The ILF team is responsible for keeping the long-term impact on the environment as low as possible. The results of the mapping process will subsequently be incorporated into the various documents (environmental impact study, landscape management plan, Natura 2000 compatibility studies).

Leran more about both projects here: BalWin3 & LanWin4 (tennet.eu) & BalWin4 & LanWin1 (tennet.eu)

The energy transition in Germany requires powerful supra-regional direct current links for the distribution of electricity from renewable sources. The Rhein-Main-Link, an over 500-km-long underground cable connection, will transport electricity from offshore wind farms in the North Sea to the Rhein-Main region in the future. The Rhein-Main-Link is one of four links that is designed to meet the strong growth in energy demand in the Rhein-Main metropolitan region in the coming years.

The consortium comprising Arcadis Germany GmbH and ILF Beratende Ingenieure will support the grid operator Amprion with a technical planning review of the Federal Network Agency’s preliminary preference area as well as with the necessary route planning services. The goal is to apply for planning approval and to submit the plan and documents.

Heike Hackemesser, Sales Director Resilience of Arcadis, and Fred Wendt, Managing Director of ILF, are delighted about the opportunity to combine Arcadis’ and ILF’s expertise in the areas of energy transition and transmission grids for the first time in a lighthouse project such as the Rhein-Main-Link: “We are excellently positioned to provide consulting and planning support to our client Amprion in this complex major project with its ambitious schedule.”

Due to the decarbonization of industrial processes as well as more electric vehicles and heat pumps, the energy demand in the Rhein-Main region is increasing enormously. In Hesse, not only millions of private households but also hundreds of companies will benefit from the future wind power connection in ten years’ time.

The draft of the 2037/2045 Electricity Grid Development Plan envisages four direct current links in one route for this project. This will bring a combined wind energy output of around eight gigawatts from the North Sea to southern Hesse. The total investment for the four links is estimated at several billion Euros. Completion of the application for planning approval is scheduled for June 2024, with final route planning in March 2028. The first link to the Rhein-Main region is scheduled to go into operation in 2033.

The Greater Zurich Area is currently much better connected to the Extra-High Voltage (EHV) grid from the North than it is from the South. In the North, the 220-kV grid extends as far as the city of Zurich. In the South, on the other hand, connection points are only connected to the city boundary with one 150-kV line each. Swissgrid therefore plans to connect the new Waldegg Substation to the EHV grid so that the EHV grid in future also extends as far as the city of Zurich from the South.

On behalf of @Swissgrid and @ewz, we – as part of the engineering consortium KiWa220 (c/o @ILF Consulting Engineers in Switzerland, @Suisseplan Ingenieure) – have been responsible, since February, for the overall project management of the planning and design of the new Waldegg Substation. From here, electricity will flow into the city of Zurich. The substation will be built underground to minimize its impact on the landscape and visibleness from the neighboring residential area as much as possible.

We would like to thank the client for the trust which they have placed in us and are pleased to be able to make a contribution to the security of electricity supply in the city of Zurich.

Leran more about this project in detail…

Hyphen’s project is one of the largest green hydrogen projects globally, and will supply and decarbonise Namibia’s energy systems, as well as exporting to international markets. Hyphen is targeting annual production of one million tonnes of green ammonia by 2027, with plans to increase annual production to two million tonnes by 2029, cutting 5-6 million tonnes in CO2 emissions every year. Operating at full scale, Hyphen’s project could produce 350,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

The project in Tsau // Khaeb National Park will act as a blueprint for future green hydrogen projects globally. Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Hyphen) recently announced the signing of a partnership agreement with ILF Consulting Engineers (ILF) to support the delivery of its ground-breaking green hydrogen project.

As part of an integrated team, ILF will provide project management services and technical expertise to drive Hyphen’s project in Namibia, as well as procurement and contract advice. ILF will also provide implementation expertise in support of Hyphen’s socio-economic-development goals.

Marco Raffinetti, CEO of Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, said: “Our partnership with ILF marks an exciting step towards establishing Namibia as a world leader in the green hydrogen sector. ILF’s experience working on hydrogen projects across the world will be invaluable and will help Hyphen meet the project timelines and Namibia’s development objectives. “This appointment, combined with our engagement with potential consortium partners, shows there is massive interest in Namibia from those looking to invest in one of the world’s lowest cost and most advanced large scale green hydrogen projects. We look forward to working closely with ILF in the delivery of this transformative project.”

Dr. Michel Kneller, Director of Hydrogen at ILF, said: “We are proud to be a part of this significant lighthouse project. By providing our engineering and project management consultancy (PMC) services to this unique venture, we can contribute to the energy transition. Hydrogen plays a crucial role in transforming our energy system, and we are convinced it is key to a sustainable future.”

ILF has signed a contract with Gasgrid Vetyverkot Oy, which was founded to promote the development of the Finnish hydrogen network, international infrastructure cooperation and the hydrogen market in Finland and the surrounding area.
The contract includes the basic design for a hydrogen transmission pipeline (approx. 23 km long) in Finland, along with a compressor station and related infrastructure. In addition, ILF will support the client in obtaining the necessary permits and agreements in consultation with local institutions.

The pipeline will transport hydrogen produced at the Kemira Oyj’s plant in Joutseno to the Ovako Imatra Oy Ab’s steel mill in Imatra.
This is the first hydrogen transmission project that extends beyond an industrial site.

The project will enable the implementation of the first complete hydrogen value chain in Finland, from electricity to hydrogen produced as a by-product in the chemical industry and to the end products of the green steel industry.

This will be the first step towards the development of domestic and international hydrogen-based markets and hydrogen transmission infrastructure.

As part of the engineering consortium ʺIngenieurgemeinschaft Fernbahntunnel Frankfurt am Mainʺ, ILF has been tasked with designing/producing the preliminary design for a new tunnel and new underground station for long-distance traffic beneath Frankfurt’s terminus station. ILF is significantly involved in the technical design of the tunnel structures, emergency exits and bifurcation structures in connection with the underground station.

Once the future tunnel has been commissioned and goes into operation, the majority of long-distance trains will be able to approach the new station through the tunnel. This will not only eliminate the bottlenecks at Frankfurt’s existing main station, but will also allow local and regional public transport to flow more smoothly into the main station, as well as enable the expansion of local and regional public transport services as required.

Of the three corridors examined in the feasibility study, the Southern Corridor was the corridor option to be chosen. The advantage of this option is that the future tunnel can be connected to the existing railway lines in the direction of Hanau at two separate points. These connections will mean that all trains heading in this direction will be able to run at optimum capacity, and traffic can be better distributed over the existing routes. To the West, the tunnel will be connected to the planned third Niederrad Bridge.

Further information on the project can be found at https://www.fernbahntunnel-frankfurt.de

The Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Weerbach (GKW) Hydropower Plant was inaugurated at the end of June.
​​​​The GKW Hydropower Plant uses the natural hydraulic power of the Weerbach stream. Water is fed via a water intake structure, located at around 1,500 masl, and an approximately 4-km-long penstock, to the power house, located at around 1,100 masl. At the power house, a Pelton turbine with a capacity of 1.7 MW generates around 7.5 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, which is fed into two grids via a 25 kV and/or 10 kV transmission line.

After flowing through the turbine, the water is fed into the intake of the downstream hydropower plant, where it is used once again to generate electricity. A second option would be to discharge the water leaving the turbine directly into the Weerbach stream so that the GKW Hydropower Plant can also be operated independently of the existing downstream hydropower plant.

In the residual flow section at the GKW Hydropower Plant, discharge into the Weerbach stream is varied as ecological flow to ensure compliance with ecological requirements and to maintain the hydrological and environmental balance in accordance with the granted permit.

The short construction period of around one year is remarkable and was only possible thanks to the extremely cooperative relationship between all those involved.
We are proud to have been able to successfully complete our work on this complex project, and warmly congratulate all those involved.

Za’atari Camp is located in the Jordanian desert, about 10 km west of the city of Al Mafraq. Since its establishment in 2012, the camp has developed into an urban settlement, and is currently home to about 80,000 people, most of them refugees who have fled from the civil war in their home country of Syria. While the sanitation system in the camp has gradually evolved over time with the provision of a camp-wide sewer system and a wastewater treatment plant, the sludge management currently practiced is based on the transportation of liquid sludge over long distances by trucks and sludge disposal in remote areas.

In 2022, ILF was contracted to provide consulting services aimed at improving sludge management in Za’atari Refugee camp in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner. This multi-donor action is jointly co-financed by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (EUTF Syria) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and is being implemented by GIZ. Under the contract, ILF and its local partner Engicon have produced three main deliverables: 1) a Pre-Feasibility Study, 2) a Feasibility Study and 3) Tender Documents for Consulting Services covering the Conceptual Design, Tendering and Construction Supervision.

The objective of the preliminary studies was to establish baseline conditions and data, identify and evaluate options for sludge management, and select the preferred option. The preferred option that was selected was greenhouse sludge drying in conjunction with a series of upstream sludge treatment facilities at the existing wastewater treatment plant. Consultations and workshops with stakeholders were critical to the decision-making process regarding selection of the preferred sludge management option.

We would like to thank all stakeholders (including the EU, the German government, GIZ, UNICEF, UNHCR, WAJ, Yarmouk Water Company, Oxfam and the FAO amongst others) for their joint support in this assignment and wish them every success for the implementation of the project!

In Norway, the Norwegian Public Road Administration, Statens Vegvesen, is currently building the E39 Rogfast Project. This project, located North of Stavanger, involves the construction of the twin-tube Boknafjord Tunnel, which, when complete, will be the longest and deepest undersea road tunnel in the world being 26.7 km long and 390 m below sea level at its deepest point.

In addition, the Rogfast Project has been selected by Statens Vegvesen as a pilot project to help reach their CO2 targets through the use of electric-powered heavy construction machinery. Statens Vegvesen has commissioned a consortium consisting of ILF Consulting Engineers in Norway, ILF Consulting Engineers in Austria, Graz University of Technology (Austria) and Sovik Consulting (Norway) to carry out a risk assessment for the use of electric-powered vehicles, commonly referred to as Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV s), in the E39 Rogfast Project.

The aim of this study is primarily to investigate potential fire risks associated with the use of battery-powered heavy vehicles for the transportation of excavated rock.
These fire hazards could arise, for example, from overloading during heavy use or from recharging the vehicles. The impact of these vehicles on the construction process and their practical implementation will also be investigated.
With delivery of this service, the consortium is making a targeted contribution to one of the largest tunnel projects ever to be built in Norway and to the sustainability of tunnelling in general.

The Point Tupper Green Hydrogen/Ammonia Project is considered one of the most advanced projects for the large-scale production of green ammonia. The aim of the project is to produce certified green hydrogen and ammonia to meet increased global demand. This project also makes it possible to reduce the amount of CO₂ emissions compared to the amount emitted from conventional ammonia production processes.
EverWind Fuels plans to deliver certified green hydrogen to German offtakers by 2025. Supplying the German market with green hydrogen is an important goal of the historic hydrogen alliance between Canada and Germany. The agreement was signed in August 2022 and contributes to achieving climate targets.

ILF is pleased to be able to support EverWind Fuels in this pioneering project as a Project Management Consultant (PMC).
​​​​​​​We will also lend technical support to EverWind Fuels and perform the Design Review for the EPC Contractor.

For the initial phase of green hydrogen and green ammonia production (200,000 tonnes per year), EverWind has received environmental approval from the Canadian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change for their project, with an investment volume of more than USD 1 billion.
Construction of the hydrogen and ammonia production plant is planned to commence in 2023, on an industrial site at Point Tupper in Nova Scotia, Canada. The jetty at the existing EverWind Fuels’ tank farm will be used to load the ammonia onto ships.
In the first phase, certified green electricity will be used. This electricity will mainly come from newly installed regional wind farms and will be transported via the public grid. In a second phase, the facility will be significantly expanded and for this purpose, separate 2GW wind farms will be developed.

The National Water Company (NWC) of Saudi Arabia is addressing the problem of high salinity levels in the drinking water in six cities in the Eastern region of the country through a new program. The NWC plans to construct transmission lines with a total length of 520 km, 21 pumping stations and 42 storage tanks. In addition, the overall network will be extended to serve new areas and old pipelines will be replaced to reduce water losses.

An additional 420,000 m³/day of water is needed from alternative sources before all of the existing groundwater wells which have high salinity levels can be closed, and to cater for the future demand of 1,370,000 m³/day. This additional water will be supplied by the Saline Water Conversion Company (SWCC KSA) in Saudi Arabia.

The NWC has entrusted ILF with the project management, construction supervision, and  design review services for this program – the currently biggest urban water supply program in Saudi Arabia.

A large part of Northern Germany’s wind energy potential cannot currently be used due to bottlenecks in the power grid.
The aim is to be able to utilize this unused wind energy potential in the future by converting it into green hydrogen with the help of power-to-gas facilities.
Transporting gaseous hydrogen in pipelines has clear advantages – technically, economically and ecologically – in comparison to other transport options.

In this context, HyPerLink, Gasunie’s envisaged approximately 66-km-long hydrogen network, and a key part the future European hydrogen network, shall provide an efficient link between the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. A particularity of this project is that the HyPerLink will be developed mainly by converting already existing natural gas infrastructure into hydrogen infrastructure with a capacity of up to 7.2 GW. ILF has been commissioned by Gasunie for the “Project design and project management for the modification of existing pipeline infrastructure in HyPerLink Phase I and Phase II”.

This gives ILF the opportunity to participate in one of the European hydrogen industry’s lighthouse projects.
The project for which an application for early commencement of measures has been submitted, is awaiting notification from the IPCEI program.