Ybbs-Persenbeug Run-of-River Power Plant

VERBUND's power plant at Ybbs-Persenbeug is a run-of-river plant situated on the Danube and in the municipality of Ybbs and Persenbeug in Lower Austria.

The VERBUND power plant Ybbs-Persenbeug was Austria’s first power plant on the Danube and is located in the municipality of Ybbs, Persenbeug-Gottsdorf and Hofamt Priel in Lower Austria. At Ybbs-Persenbeug, the oldest run-of-river power plant on the Danube, not only the impellers are active. The many cyclists that use the Danube cycle path have also discovered the Danube and the power station as a popular excursion destination. The power plant nestles in a beautiful natural landscape, and the wonderful impressions in Strudengau and Nibelungengau thrill visitors.

Visit the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant

Take a look behind the scenes of electricity generation. On a tour of the power plant, followed by a visit to the lock system, you’ll experience fascinating insights and discover the secret behind generating electricity from hydropower.

Visitor power plant Ybbs-Persenbeug

Ybbs2020: Machine replacement and revitalisation

The machines from the 1950s were replaced over many years of work. Following completion of the project in 2022, the Danube power plant Ybbs-Persenbeug has been generating electricity for an additional 22,000 households. We documented the fascinating work as it happened.

About the Ybbs2020 project

Land restoration at Ybbser Scheibe

VERBUND implemented many ecological measures along the Danube as part of the LIFE+ Network Danube project. Fish-friendly gravel banks were created below the Danube power plant Ybbs-Persenbeug in the area of the “Ybbser Scheibe”. Fish can find spawning grounds here and gravel breeders use the banks for breeding.

LIFE+ Network Danube

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Owner	VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
Operator	VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
Commissioning	1959
Type	Run-of-river power plant
Country	Austria
Region	Lower Austria
Waters	Danube
Output	237 MW
Annual output	1,415,000 MWh
Turbine	Kaplan
Connectivity	Fish bypass is in the planning process

The Ybbs-Persenbeug run-of-river power plant does not currently provide continuity for fish. As part of the LIFE Blue Belt Danube Inn project, the power plant will be upgraded with a fish pass in the coming years.
The power plants reservoir is connected to Melk beneath the power plant. There, in the area of the “Ybbser Scheibe”, new gravel banks and islands were created as habitats and spawning grounds for fish, with support from the EU-LIFE+ programme.

Responsible treatment of the environment

After the Second World War, Ybbs-Persenbeug was one of the most prestigious projects in Austria’s reconstruction.

The south and north powerhouses with machines 1 to 6:

The power plant has a total of six main machine sets with vertically installed Kaplan turbines and a total nominal output of 200,000 kW. Three of them are located in the north and three in the south power plant.

The two auxiliary sets of machinery in the separation columns each consist of a Kaplan turbine from 1957 and 1958 with an output of 1,765 kW and 2,500 kW respectively and a generator.

The powerhouse of machine 7:

With an impeller diameter of 7.5 metres, the horizontally installed Kaplan bulb turbine is one of the largest Kaplan bulb turbines in Europe. This seventh machine delivers a maximum output of 48,000 kW with a head of 10.9 metres.