Ybbs-Persenbeug: even more electricity from hydropower

12.10.2015Ybbs, Persenbeug, Gottsdorf

Austria's oldest Danube power plant further modernised

VERBUND, Austria's leading electricity company, is investing in the modernisation and increased efficiency of the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant, the oldest Austrian power plant on the Danube. The increased energy output thus gained corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of 22,000 households.

The second round of Austria's largest energy efficiency project: The Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant on the Danube is having the second of its six turbines replaced. The generators and digital control system will also be completely renovated. The engineers' latest findings give cause for celebration: the efficiency increase originally expected will be exceeded once more, now coming to 77 million Kilowatt hours. This is equivalent to the total annual energy consumption of a city with 22,000 households. The "Ybbs2020" project will achieve this increase in output without any structural modifications on the power plant or the Danube.

€ 144 million investment
The scale of the power plant is impressive: Ybbs-Persenbeug generates electricity annually for over 300,000 households. The € 144 million investment is absolutely worthwhile. It will keep Ybbs-Persenbeug in service for at least the next 60 years.

Innovative technology in a historic structure
In accordance with the comprehensive plans, the turbine runners, generators, transformers, high-voltage power cables and circuit breakers of the six machines are being replaced. Starting in 2014, one machine set has been renovated every year. Concretely, this means that the turbine runners and generators are completely disassembled. The powerful parts, each weighing several tons, are then removed and brought back by means of gantry cranes, floating cranes and special transporters.

A power plant with history

Ybbs-Persenbeug was counted among the prestigious reconstruction projects in Austria after the Second World War. With a capacity of 236.5 MW, it is the fourth most powerful Austrian power plant on the Danube and, with an annual output of 1.336 billion kilowatt hours, saves 1.1 million tons of CO2 each year.
Today, it represents a popular tourist destination on the Danube bicycle trail. The attractiveness of the power plant will be enhanced in cooperation with the local community:  During the years of construction, visitors will be offered the unique chance to see the inside of a hydropower plant.


Contact

Portrait Florian Seidl Florian Seidl

Spokesperson Region East

Send email