Record Production on the Danube

The most powerful Austrian power station on the Danube came on stream in 1976. The electricity generated in Altenwoerth until today equals the current consumption of all of Austria in the year 1999.

In order to generate the same quantity of electricity in thermal power stations an average of 11 million tons of oil or 16.5 million tons of hard coal would have to be burned. If the 50 billion kilowatt hours had been generated in a modern coal-fired power station, 40 million tons of CO2 would have polluted the atmosphere.

The AHP run-of-river station of Altenwoerth generates a yearly average of almost two billion kilowatt hours. Thus it is an important member of the VERBUND power station park. With a total of 71 hydroelectric power stations, Austria’s biggest power producer covers approximately half the domestic electricity requirements, and more than 90 % from eco-friendly, renewable hydropower.

The nine AHP-power stations use the Danube’s enormous energy potential for generating almost half of the VERBUND electricity. Like all of the power stations planned and built by VERBUND, the run-of-river stations on the Danube have brought a number of advantages. By developing the river sections the risk of floods was reduced considerably in large areas. Damming up the Danube brought considerable advantages for shipping (impeded by low water and dangerous currents before), the prerequisites for mass water transportation in the future. Responsible-minded construction methods were a key factor for the preservation of endangered natural habitats.