The power plant was built between 1995 and 1998. As the power plant was built in the dry construction method, a new riverbed had to be created above and below the power plant. Two Kaplan spiral turbines generate an annual average of approx. 60 GWh of electricity.
| Owner | VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH |
|---|---|
| Operator | VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH |
| Commissioning | 1998 |
| Type | Run-of-river power plant |
| Country | Austria |
| Region | Styria |
| Waters | Mur |
| Output | 12 MW |
| Annual output | 60,560 MWh |
| Turbine | Kaplan |
| Connectivity | Fish bypass |
The construction of the Friesach power plant between 1995 and 1998 also involved the integration of a fish bypass. The fish bypass was designed as a near-natural pond pass with a length of 620 metres and a total of 48 ponds. It enables a height difference of 9.8 metres to be overcome. The fish bypasses of VERBUND are constantly being checked. A monitoring programme in 2008 revealed that many different types of aquatic lifeforms use this facility: about 23 species of fish and jawless fish were observed migrating from the headrace to the tailrace.
