Market development
In 2006, project activity for hydropower plant equipment was very high. In China and India, the construction of several new hydropower plants has started due to the continued strong increase in electricity demand.
In Europe and North America, due to the ageing installed capacities, investments focused primarily on modernizations and capacity increases. In addition, the demand for pumped storage power stations to secure grid stability in Europe has increased. Besides upgrading projects for existing plants, there was also increased project activity for constructing new small hydropower stations.
Demand for large-scale centrifugal pumps, especially in China, remained very high during the reporting period. With its successful joint venture Andritz-Kenflo, Andritz is the clear market leader for centrifugal pumps for the Chinese pulp and paper industries.