Refurbishment of the Jettenbach-Töging power plant: Positive approval decision
22.07.2019Mühldorf am Inn, Töging am Inn
Mühldorf’s district chief executive Georg Huber handed over the decision to Bavaria’s VERBUND Innkraftwerke in person
“The day begins with a particularly pleasing event,” said Michael Amerer, managing director of the Bavarian company VERBUND Innkraftwerke GmbH, when – 100 years after construction commenced – he received the go-ahead for the renovation and efficiency increase project of the Jettenbach-Töging power plant. “These more than 400 pages are the outcome of years of work – at VERBUND Innkraftwerke and at the authorities. I thank you all very much for your effort in this major undertaking.”
The project “Renovation of the Jettenbach-Töging Power Plant” was submitted by the Bavarian company VERBUND Innkraftwerke to the district administration of Mühldorf am Inn for approval in 2015. “With an investment volume of around 250 million euros, it is currently the biggest hydropower project in Germany. Our goal is to increase the output of the existing power plant in Töging by around 25 percent and in future to generate electricity for around 200,000 households,” Michael Amerer explained the project, which should be completed in 2022.
District chief executive Georg Huber: “We are delighted that we have been able to successfully complete this demanding process of finalising the plans for expanding and increasing the efficiency of the Jettenbach-Töging hydropower plant. Ultimately, the project will contribute to the development of regenerative energies beyond our district and thus also to climate protection. Thanks to the good cooperation between the authorities, in particular the rural districts of Mühldorf a. Inn and Altötting, the offices for water management and the conservation authorities as well as VERBUND Innkraftwerke GmbH, the country’s only major hydropower project has been set in motion very efficiently.”
Generating more from hydropower or 16 football fields
Instead of using water from the Innkanal, which runs from the weir at Jettenbach to Töging, to power 14 Francis turbines, 3 Kaplan turbines in the newly built Töging powerhouse will be used in future. Modern technology makes it possible to generate around 700 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The extra production corresponds to the electricity consumption of about 40,000 typical Bavarian households. To achieve this additional production in the region with photovoltaics alone would, in the most favourable circumstances, require an area of more than 116 football pitches of FC Bayern München. Hydropower here in Töging thus makes an important contribution to the renewable energy system and is the reliable partner for electricity generated from wind and sun.
Bavaria’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Hubert Aiwanger: “Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, energy from hydropower has a good future with us. It is essential for the success of the energy revolution and a fundamental building block for our energy supply. With a share of around one third, it remains the most important regenerative source of energy in Bavaria. What’s more, even small hydropower plants are an important regional economic factor.”
Project progress
VERBUND Innkraftwerke was able to make an early start on measures for implementing the project back in the autumn of 2018. In addition to the construction of pit seals and preparatory work at the Jettenbach weir and in Töging itself, work was also begun on extending the sealing of the Innkanal upstream. Project leader Bernhard Gerauer: “The possibility to bring selected measures forwards had a big impact on the project’s progress and completion target of 2022. Amongst other things, it was possible to carry out work on the Innkanal in the winter when the area was free of vegetation, which we would not be able to do now, despite the positive decision, for valid conservation reasons.” The project leader thus also emphasises the high standards for conservation and environmental protection, which were accorded great weight in the approval process – despite increasing the efficiency of an existing plant. “The relevant conditions can now be found in the decision. Comprehensive compensation measures are also a fixed component of the project. This is to be assessed as essentially positive, while showing that hydropower, nature and the environment are partners.”
Technical specifications
The current power output of the Töging power plant of around 85 MW should be increased by around 25% to approximately 118 MW. The present annual electricity generation (standard working capacity) of around 560 GWh will be increased to around 700 GWh.
This will be made possible by replacing the existing machine sets with 3 machine sets with Kaplan turbines. The new installation will be integrated into the existing situation as carefully as possible. Only two discreet slits in the seemingly untouched slope provide any indication at all of the new power plant and thus avoid competing with the existing heritage-listed facility. The level and quantity of the water in the Innkanal will also be increased. The project costs are estimated at about 250 million euros, completion is scheduled for 2022.
The project “Renovation of the Jettenbach-Töging Power Plant” was submitted by the Bavarian company VERBUND Innkraftwerke to the district administration of Mühldorf am Inn for approval in 2015. “With an investment volume of around 250 million euros, it is currently the biggest hydropower project in Germany. Our goal is to increase the output of the existing power plant in Töging by around 25 percent and in future to generate electricity for around 200,000 households,” Michael Amerer explained the project, which should be completed in 2022.
District chief executive Georg Huber: “We are delighted that we have been able to successfully complete this demanding process of finalising the plans for expanding and increasing the efficiency of the Jettenbach-Töging hydropower plant. Ultimately, the project will contribute to the development of regenerative energies beyond our district and thus also to climate protection. Thanks to the good cooperation between the authorities, in particular the rural districts of Mühldorf a. Inn and Altötting, the offices for water management and the conservation authorities as well as VERBUND Innkraftwerke GmbH, the country’s only major hydropower project has been set in motion very efficiently.”
Generating more from hydropower or 16 football fields
Instead of using water from the Innkanal, which runs from the weir at Jettenbach to Töging, to power 14 Francis turbines, 3 Kaplan turbines in the newly built Töging powerhouse will be used in future. Modern technology makes it possible to generate around 700 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The extra production corresponds to the electricity consumption of about 40,000 typical Bavarian households. To achieve this additional production in the region with photovoltaics alone would, in the most favourable circumstances, require an area of more than 116 football pitches of FC Bayern München. Hydropower here in Töging thus makes an important contribution to the renewable energy system and is the reliable partner for electricity generated from wind and sun.
Bavaria’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Hubert Aiwanger: “Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, energy from hydropower has a good future with us. It is essential for the success of the energy revolution and a fundamental building block for our energy supply. With a share of around one third, it remains the most important regenerative source of energy in Bavaria. What’s more, even small hydropower plants are an important regional economic factor.”
Project progress
VERBUND Innkraftwerke was able to make an early start on measures for implementing the project back in the autumn of 2018. In addition to the construction of pit seals and preparatory work at the Jettenbach weir and in Töging itself, work was also begun on extending the sealing of the Innkanal upstream. Project leader Bernhard Gerauer: “The possibility to bring selected measures forwards had a big impact on the project’s progress and completion target of 2022. Amongst other things, it was possible to carry out work on the Innkanal in the winter when the area was free of vegetation, which we would not be able to do now, despite the positive decision, for valid conservation reasons.” The project leader thus also emphasises the high standards for conservation and environmental protection, which were accorded great weight in the approval process – despite increasing the efficiency of an existing plant. “The relevant conditions can now be found in the decision. Comprehensive compensation measures are also a fixed component of the project. This is to be assessed as essentially positive, while showing that hydropower, nature and the environment are partners.”
Technical specifications
The current power output of the Töging power plant of around 85 MW should be increased by around 25% to approximately 118 MW. The present annual electricity generation (standard working capacity) of around 560 GWh will be increased to around 700 GWh.
This will be made possible by replacing the existing machine sets with 3 machine sets with Kaplan turbines. The new installation will be integrated into the existing situation as carefully as possible. Only two discreet slits in the seemingly untouched slope provide any indication at all of the new power plant and thus avoid competing with the existing heritage-listed facility. The level and quantity of the water in the Innkanal will also be increased. The project costs are estimated at about 250 million euros, completion is scheduled for 2022.
