After more than 15 years of planning and two and a half years of construction, the new Stegenwald hydroelectric power plant near Werfen was officially opened at the end of September. It is one of the most modern hydroelectric power plants in Austria and supplies around 74 gigawatt hours of electricity per year – enough to supply around 20,000 households in Pongau and Tennengau with renewable energy. flussbau iC was entrusted with site supervision for the project and, with its expertise in hydraulic engineering, made a significant contribution to its safe and sustainable implementation.
Technology meets flood protection
A special feature of the project is its innovative construction method: Kaplan turbines were installed horizontally for the first time. This arrangement not only enables efficient power generation, but also provides greater flood protection – the machine room can be flooded if necessary, allowing additional water to be diverted.
Ecological enhancement along the Salzach
For the construction work, the Salzach was temporarily diverted into a new riverbed. The former course now serves as an ecologically valuable tributary. In addition, one of the largest fish migration aids along the Salzach was created, as well as a new bypass channel up to 60 metres wide. A total of around 500 ecological measures were implemented in the project area.
Outlook
The Stegenwald power plant marks an important milestone in environmentally friendly energy generation. Further projects along the Salzach are already in the planning stage and are intended to secure the regional supply of renewable electricity in the long term.
