Boat transfer facility completed at VERBUND power plant in Aschach

VERBUND, Austria’s leading provider of sustainable energy, has refurbished the existing rowing boat launch facility at the Aschach Danube power plant and symbolically handed it over to the Austrian Rowing Federation (ÖRV) and its rowing clubs for their free use. With immediate effect, rowing boats and small craft can once again use the ramp. Safe passage past the power plant for water sports is ensured for the long term. Among those present at the handover were Birgit Steininger, president of the ÖRV, Alex Weigl, president of the Upper Austrian Rowing Federation, and numerous representatives of the rowing clubs, who had travelled to the event themselves in the rowing boat “Aus eigener Kraft” (“By our own power”). As the main sponsor of the Austrian Rowing Federation, VERBUND has a close connection with the sport of rowing.

A small-boat transfer facility was built during the construction of the Aschach Danube power plant in the early 1960s. It enabled competitive rowers and users of small boats to launch their boats and pass the power plant safely. Later, the construction of the Ottensheim power plant in the 1970s led to the creation of a rowing course, which is now regarded as the fairest regatta course in international rowing. The World Rowing Championships were held there in 2019, when Ottensheim even beat the rowing capital of Hamburg.

Boat transfer facility refurbished

The boat transfer ramp had become outdated and no longer fully met modern safety standards, posing a particular risk for long rowing boats. VERBUND therefore decided to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of the structure this year. VERBUND plant engineer Johannes Oberleithner explained: “Several floods had severely damaged the existing facility, so it was essential for us to replace it.” However, refurbishing the boat transfer facility was not straightforward. “The work presented us with particular technical challenges: the considerable drop height at the power plant and the substantial rock-armour protection on the underwater embankment made the construction work significantly more difficult,” said Oberleithner. In spring 2026, the facility was closed to all users and work began. The ramp was completed in August 2026 and reopened for rowers to use. The symbolic handover to the rowing clubs and representatives of the Upper Austrian and Austrian Rowing Federations has now taken place in October 2026.

VERBUND, main sponsor of the ÖRV: By our own power

In her statement, Birgit Steininger, president of the ÖRV, said: “The fact that the clubs travelled here today by rowing boat shows what this facility stands for: rowing on the Danube, for everyone, by our own power. We are delighted that VERBUND, as our main sponsor, not only supports our national teams but also invests where rowing takes place every day: in the clubs. Every Olympian and every world champion started out at a club. If you want to strengthen elite sport, you have to strengthen it at grassroots level. That is exactly what VERBUND is doing here in Aschach. The refurbished transfer facility gives the clubs access to the Danube again, marking a milestone for grassroots sport."