Vienna-Freudenau Run-of-River Plant

The VERBUND power plant Wien-Freudenau is Europe’s largest city power plant and links Vienna to Danube Island.

The Danube power plant Freudenau was put into operation in 1998. It was the first Danube power plant to have been planned with a fish pass from the outset. Every year, the power plant generates a billion kilowatt hours of electricity from hydropower.

One of the six Kaplan bulb turbines. With a diameter of 7.5 metres, they are amongst the largest turbines in Europe.

Visit the Danube power plant Freudenau!

Take a peek behind the scenes of electricity generation and discover the secret of electricity from hydropower! We offer guided for groups all year round in our information centre.

To the power plant guided tours

January 2024: Restoration at Mannswörth Island

To improve biodiversity, Mannswörth Island downstream of the Danube power plant Freudenau is being restored to its original state. The side arm between the bank and the gravel island is being made much deeper, so that water continues to flow through it even in dry periods. This creates a habitat protected against the wave wash of shipping on the Danube. The installation of natural elements such as deliberately positioned tree trunks offers diverse habitat for fish, birds and others forms of aquatic life. Deepening the side arm is creating a gravel island that benefits gravel-breeding birds.

To the press release

Inside the Kaplan turbine of Vienna-Freudenau

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Owner	VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
Operator	VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
Commissioning	1998
Type	Run-of-river power plant
Country	Austria
Region	Vienna
Waters	Danube
Output	172 MW
Annual output	1,092,679 MWh
Turbine	Kaplan
Connectivity	Fish bypass

Beaver rescue at the Freudenau power plant near Vienna

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A dive at the hydropower plant

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A special feature of the Freudenau power plant is that a fish bypass was implemented during construction of the power plant for the very first time. The fish bypass was constructed between the Danube and the flood drainage channel of the New Danube as a 1 kilometre-long bypass stream with subsequent pond pass. This overcomes a height difference of 6.7 metres and a difference of 2 metres at the pond pass. The fish bypass has been in operation since 1998.

Fish bypasses safeguard the variety of species

Powerhouse: The six machine sets each consist of one Kaplan bulb turbine each with a rated output of 30,300 kW and a three-phase synchronous generator with a rated output of 32,000 kVA. Two groups of three machine sets are allocated to one block transformer each, with both block transformers being connected to two indoor switchgears.

Weir system: The four weirs consist of pressure segments with flap gate on top and stop log gates. Each weir field can be closed off for inspection work in the headrace or tailrace by stop logs that are stored in the area of the headrace stop log niches.
The Freudenau power plant was built between 1992 and 1998 in the “wet construction method”, i.e. in the river bed, and co-financed by EVN and Wien Strom GmbH.

Visitor centre Freudenau

Hydropower plants on the Danube

The Kaplan turbine

Environmental certifications