The Wachau is considered to be one of the most picturesque river valleys in Austria and is a popular destination for cyclists, hikers and those with an interest in culture. The power station on the Danube – in the immediate vicinity of Melk Abbey – blends harmoniously into the landscape.
By generating 100% hydropower, the Melk power plant makes an important contribution to maintaining the ecological conditions in the region. The bird sanctuary and the gravel islands in the old course are a valuable retreat for waterfowl and also inspire visitors cycling by. A leisure paradise and a new recreation area have thus been created around the old course.
Since 2007, a newly built fish bypass has been in operation at the Danube power station Melk. It is an important part of the LIFE project “Networking Danube - Ybbs”, which was carried out together with the Province of Lower Austria and with the support of the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism (BMLFUW) and the EU.
| Owner | VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH |
|---|---|
| Operator | VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH |
| Commissioning | 1982 |
| Type | Run-of-river power plant |
| Country | Austria |
| Region | Lower Austria |
| Waters | Danube |
| Output | 187 MW |
| Annual output | 1,235,288 MWh |
| Turbine | Kaplan |
| Connectivity | Fish bypass |
Turbines and generators: The plant consists of 9 sets of machinery with Kaplan bulb turbines, each with an output of 22,300 kW and a swallowing capacity of 300 m³/s. The 9 generators with 24 MVA- each have a nominal voltage of 9 kV.
Weir system: The weir baffles are equipped with pressure segments with weir gate.
Lock system: The two lock chambers are equipped with guillotine gates at the upstream end and mitre gates at the downstream end.
Pump stations: The Melk plant has pump stations at Marbach, Krummnußbaum, Klein-Pöchlarn and Pöchlarn.
The power plant was built between 1979 and 1982 with the financial participation of Energie AG Oberösterreich, Salzburg AG, VKW and EVN in a low-profile design.
