VERBUND is a partner of the Bavarian climate week in Altötting

The VERBUND Innkraftwerke GmbH and operator of the 14 hydropower plants on the river Inn, is taking an active role in the Bavarian climate week in the district of Altötting. District Administrator Erwin Schneider presented the programme for the Bavarian climate week at the press conference at the district office. Michael Amerer, Managing Director of VERBUND-Innkraftwerke provided information regarding the role hydropower plays within a sustainable energy system and emphasised the active partnership with the district of Altötting as well as the cooperation with the Bavarian climate week: The highlight of the series of events will be the day of hydropower on 19 June 2014 in the VERBUND Inn power plant of Neuötting.

"The climate conditions of our alpine and pre-alpine areas together with the gradient of our rivers make it possible to use the water as something with which to deliver and in which to valuably store energy" said Michael Amerer. "Hydropower is the only renewable energy source which remains competitive on the current market system without receiving any funding".

Electricity from hydropower has a multitude of functions within the energy system. The VERBUND Innkraftwerke managing director further elaborates: "The run-of-river power plants in the rivers can remain in operation 24 hours a day and in this way can deliver the necessary base load. Additionally, surplus and shortage of supply can be compensated with volatile generating technologies from pumped storage plants. Hydropower is CO₂-neutral, resource-saving and reduces the dependency on imports of fossil raw materials and makes a key contribution to climate protection."

Bavarian Climate Week: Emphasis on Hydropower
Hydropower was already used in the pre-industrial era to power mills, saw mills and hammer mills. In the district of Altötting, hydropower was one of the deciding factors behind settling industry on the rivers Inn, Salzach and Alz. Even today, long-established companies use this type of energy production for their production purposes or to reduce energy costs and therefore to maintain work places.

Hydropower is the most important renewable energy source in the district of Altötting. The Inn power plant Neuötting plays a significant role in this and contributes to making sure green, climate-friendly energy is produced on site.

Ceremonial Opening on "Day of Hydropower"
The great importance of hydropower plant facilities will be emphasised on the "Day of Hydropower" on 19 July 2014. Alongside the many smaller hydropower plant operators in the district, on the "Day of Hydropower" VERBUND-Innkraftwerke in Neuötting will also open ist gates to visitors: People can visit the power plant from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., information will be provided there regarding VERBUND in Bavaria, hydropower, the VERBUND electricity school as well as about the very popular VERBUND double training.

The opening of the Day of Hydropower will take place on 19 July 2014 at 10 a.m. and will be carried out by District Administrator Erwin Schneider and Klaus Schöler, the work group leader for VERBUND Innkraftwerke GmbH at the VERBUND river Inn power plant in Neuötting.

The Neuötting Run-of-River Power Plant
Electricity from hydropower is considered sustainable and above all, a CO₂ free energy source, which is constantly available. The Neuötting Inn power plant generates an average yearly output of around 160 million KWh of electricity from hydropower, this corresponds to the yearly requirements of around 45,700 households. In comparison to modern coal-fired power stations, the renewable energy from the Bavarian hydropower plants will avoid emitting just under 130,000 tons of CO₂ per year. The Inn power plant is a reliable, local economic partner as well as a stable employer in the region.

The Neuötting power plant was built from 1948 to 1951 to meet the drastically increasing electricity requirements after the Second World War, it was the first to be built using the pancake construction method by Innwerk AG. It is located in the city district of Neuötting, downstream from the Isen tributary. The plant is made up of a weir on the left bank and a connecting powerhouse on the right bank, which is made up of 3 vertical axis Kaplan turbines and 3 directly coupled three-phase generators.

Link to the run-of-river power plant in Neuötting:
www.verbund.com/neuoetting

Further links:
www.verbund.com/inn and www.verbund.com/bayern
Folder and poster fort he Bavarian climate week:
© District of Altötting