The Gries run-of-river power plant was completed in 2019 as a joint venture project on the Salzach river in the municipality of Gries im Pinzgau.
Surrounded by high mountains and popular skiing regions such as Kaprun, Zell am See and the Rauriser Hochalmbahnen, winter tourism isn’t the only life in the Pinzgau region. In summer, too, many tourists make their way to these impressive mountains for their holidays. To ensure a tourism industry in harmony with nature, sustainable energy production is also a must. The hydropower plant in Gries makes an important contribution to this.
The natural gradient of the Salzach at Gries makes it the ideal location for the run of river plant. The power plant can be constructed here in a way that takes particular care of the river’s ecology. The project partners VERBUND and Salzburg AG worked with the renowned Salzburg Institute for Ecology during the planning phase. The impact on nature was kept as low as possible during the construction phase. Land restoration measures are invigorating biodiversity while a modern fish pass offers obstacle-free migration for the fish.
Hydropower is the stable foundation of local, renewable electricity generation. The new joint venture power plant of VERBUND and Salzburg AG on the Salzach in Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße, Gries district, is capable of supplying 10,000 households with electricity. It thus makes an important contribution to achieving climate and energy targets.
Owner: VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH, Salzburg AG
Operator: VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
Commissioning: 2019
Type: Run-of-river power plant
Country: Austria
Region: Salzburg
Waters: Salzach
Output: 09 MW
Annual output: 42,000 MWh
Turbine: Kaplan
Connectivity: Fish bypass
The run-of-river power plant has two machine sets, each consisting of a Kaplan bulb turbine and a generator.
The expansion flow rate will be 115 m³/s and the expansion head will be 8.9 metres. With a capacity of 8.85 MW, the power plant will supply the region with 100% green electricity.
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The construction will also improve the ecology: still water zones for fish and ecological balancing areas for upgrading the ecosystem are being implemented. At the same, a fish bypass will be installed at the site of the power plant.
