The joint venture power plant Gössendorf is on the Mur River, south of the city limit of Graz, in the municipality of Gössendorf.
The Mur section south of Graz had already been heavily managed towards the end of the 19th century. The construction of the Gössendorf power plant saw the restoration of a lost old course of the river. This also created a new local recreation area with a wide range of leisure activities. In addition, flood defences were significantly improved for the neighbouring communities.
By supplying electricity from hydropower, the power plant makes an important contribution to climate and energy targets, especially in the industrial conurbation of Graz in southern Austria.
Owner: VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH, Energie Steiermark
Operator: VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
Commissioning: 2012
Type: Run-of-river power plant
Country: Austria
Region: Styria
Waters: Mur
Output: 19 MW
Annual output: 88,600 MWh
Turbine: Kaplan
Connectivity: Fish bypass
The power plant at Gössendorf was put into operation in 2012. It dams the Mur to a depth of 11.2 metres and has a maximum flow rate of 200 m³/s. Two Kaplan bulb turbines generate an annual average of about 89 GWh of electricity.
The power plant was built as a partner project with Energie Steiermark.
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Ecology & environmental protection
The central ecological challenge involved in constructing the Gössendorf power plant was the retention and restoration of the natural habitat along the Mur river. Over 100 ecological compensatory measures were put in place during construction.
For example, the Gössendorf power plant was also equipped with a fish ladder. The ladder is a combination of technical structure (vertical slot pass) and a near-natural bypass channel (pond pass). In the transition area between the pond pass and vertical slot pass, the Ochsengriesbach flows into the Mur, which is fed year-round by the Gössendorf and Kalsdorf hydropower plants as far as the Kalsdorf lower level power plant. This confluence allowed for the creation of both a ladder for fish and a permanent habitat for microorganisms.
