Ritom hydroelectric power station: fire protection for an important water supply
The Ritom hydroelectric power station is owned by Ritom SA and supplies both the public grid and SBB. It was recently expanded with two new generators and a pump motor. In terms of fire protection, this meant integration, requirements that went beyond the normal standard, and six projects instead of one by the end.
Lago Ritom is situated high above the Ticino village of Quinto. Anyone looking out at the tranquil lake would be surprised at just what the water here can do. It flows down into the valley, drives generators and creates electricity – both for the public grid and for SBB, which operates its own generator with its own frequency. And if there’s too much electricity? A pump motor brings the water back up the mountain for the next run. This cycle seems so natural that you almost forget how clever it is.
Integration into existing system landscape
When Ritom expanded the plant with a new building and three new generators, Securiton was brought on board. The customer had already commissioned our sister company Contrafeu for the dry extinguishing systems in the three new generator rooms. As we not only install equipment but also integrate it seamlessly into existing systems, we were tasked with installing the fire alarm systems for these rooms. What seemed straightforward at first glance turned out to be much more complex when it came to implementation.
The existing building had been equipped with a management system for several years. With the exception of the three new generator rooms, the protective environment had already been planned for the new building. This meant we had to integrate everything into a predefined system landscape.
Our three SecuriFire control panels – one per generator room, with a total of 16 fire detectors, seven sirens and seven flashing lights – are designed in such a way that they can transmit their signals to the existing management system. For starting points in this dimension, this means zero tolerance for system breaks.
Manual second flooding – when a special scenario becomes the norm
Another challenge came from Ritom itself: there was a request for an extinguishing system that triggers in two stages. Automatic initial flooding is a common practice. In this project, manual second flooding was also requested – which is only possible once the initial flooding is fully concluded. Although this is regulated in the standard, it is only rarely used in Switzerland.
This meant that we brought our internal specialist department on board in the project. Together with Contrafeu, we have redesigned the entire triggering logic – from the technical analysis of requirements and alignment with the standards through to final acceptance. A solution that had never been seen before had to become the standard for Ritom. This was confirmed by VKF acceptance (Cantonal Fire Insurance Union).
“What particularly impressed me about this project was the collaboration with Contrafeu and our in-house specialist department. We always looked for solutions together. It was enriching, both professionally and personally.”
Stefano Pizzala, Project Manager at Securiton.
Six orders from one
What began as a single order eventually turned into six sub-projects over the course of the project – all thanks to mutual trust.
After passing three acceptance tests with the customer and meeting deadlines and budgets, the water at the top of Lago Ritom is now waiting patiently for the new generators to be put into operation by the end of 2026.
Each project has its own special requirements. Tell us more – we look forward to hearing from you.
