Enns Run-of-River Power Plant

The Enns power plant is located on the eponymous Enns River, in the middle of the town of Enns in Upper Austria.

The power plant was put into operation for the first time in 1964 and completely renovated in 2015. A completely new turbine concept (German only), a movable compact unit with overflow and underflow, was implemented. This “mobile powerhouse” does not require its own powerhouse building for the machinery. This innovation enabled the standard working capacity to be increased from 1.4 GWh to approx. 6.9 GWh.

As part of the efficiency increase, the power plant was also equipped with a fish bypass. Today, the fish in the Enns can swim the entire section between Enns and Steyr.

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Owner	Ennskraft
Operator	Ennskraft
Commissioning	1965
Type	Run-of-river power plant
Country	Austria
Region	Upper Austria, Lower Austria
Waters	Enns
Output	00.01 MW
Annual output	7,000 MWh
Turbine	Kaplan
Connectivity	Fish bypass

Ecology & environmental protection

In 2015, the Enns power plant was made passable by means of a fish bypass. The plant is designed as a fishway with a modular construction and consists of:
•a berm-like tailwater ramp
•a tailwater entrance parallel to the turbine stream
•a technical vertical slot pass
•a natural pass
•an upstream feed structure
The fish bypass with the technical section and the natural pass is about 250 metres long. The maximum height difference to be overcome is 5.2 metres.
In addition to providing continuity, this type of construction also creates important habitat elements for river systems such as spawning grounds, juvenile fish habitats and valuable habitats for microorganisms.

Responsible treatment of the environment

The mobile powerhouse is equipped with a Kaplan turbine and has an output of 0.9 MW.
The flow rate is 18.8 m³/s and the head is 5.1 metres.