The Covalou run-of-river hydroelectric power plant, which went into operation in 1926 and was then fully automated in 1955, is located in the municipality of Antey-Saint-André: the first municipality encountered while ascending the Valtournenche.

With its renewable electricity production, this reservoir power plant fits very well into the surrounding natural environment of meadows and forests. Each year, the plant produces an average of 125 million kWh. The building’s engine room houses three generator sets connected to Pelton turbines, fed by two pipelines with a flow rate of 10.5 m³/second. This instrumentation is capable of generating a power output of 41 MW.

There are three step-up transformers in the transformer room, one for each hydroelectric unit, required for connection to the 132 kV national grid. The Matterhorn pyramid punctuates the length of the Marmore valley, the name of the stream that also feeds the Perrères and Maën plants, which precede the Covalou and Châtillon power plants in the watercourse before flowing into the Dora Baltea River.

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