The Hône II power plant, which has been in operation for over a century, is undergoing a complete overhaul aimed at fully exploiting the hydrological potential of the Champorcher Valley. The work, which will take place between 2025 and 2028, is motivated by the need to modernize the plant and mitigate the hydrogeological risks associated with the original diversion canal.

Project objectives:

• Increased production: The project will significantly increase annual renewable energy production from the current 49 GWh to 104 GWh, an amount equivalent to the energy needs of approximately 20,000 domestic photovoltaic systems.
• Greater safety and sustainability: A new diversion channel buried in a tunnel of approximately 9 km will replace the old route, eliminating the risks associated with hydrogeological instability and ensuring greater protection downstream. This modern infrastructure will also allow for optimized water resource management, improving ecological flow throughout the year.
• Technological innovation: Plans include the construction of a new power plant with two high-efficiency Pelton units and a new, higher-elevation headrace reservoir, with a +35-meter increase in head to generate more energy with greater efficiency.

With an investment of around €156 million, the revamping of Hône II will prevent the emission of over 50,000 tons of CO₂ per year. In addition, the project includes agreed measures worth over €1 million to benefit the local communities of Hône, Pontboset, and Champorcher.

The Valpelline power plant, fed by the Place Moulin dam and the By reservoir, is not only the largest plant in the Aosta Valley, but also of national strategic importance, as it is part of the plan to restart the electricity grid in the event of a total blackout. For this reason, a complete electromechanical modernization project has been launched, scheduled to run from May 2025 to August 2029.

Project objectives:

• Electromechanical renovation: the heart of the project is the complete replacement of the two main production units, each weighing 340 tons, accompanied by a complete upgrade of all auxiliary systems.
• Increased power and efficiency: the project will result in a 16% increase in generator power, with a significant increase in the plant's production efficiency and optimisation of water use. The plant already produces 330 GWh of renewable energy per year.
• Safety and modernization: critical safety valves will be replaced and the inclined plane trolley transport system will be upgraded, increasing its capacity to 200 tons for safer handling of materials and people.

The work planned at Valpelline aims to reuse and optimize existing infrastructure to minimize environmental impact and ensure reliability and maximum performance for decades to come. The planned investment for the revamping is €80 million.