Successful rotor installation at Braunau-Simbach power plant on the Inn River

On Friday 13 March 2026,  the rotor was successfully lifted into the second generator set at the VERBUND Braunau-Simbach power plant on the Inn River. With a lifting weight of 135 tonnes and an external diameter of over 8 metres, this component is a real heavyweight – and the centrepiece of electricity generation at the plant. The spectacular lifting operation marks an important step in the comprehensive refurbishment of the power plant.

The rotor is the rotating centrepiece of the generator, making it a key component of the electricity generation process. Combined with the fixed stator, the magnetic field of the rotor and the rotary motion of the Kaplan turbine driven by the Inn River generate electrical energy – enough for each generator set to supply around 44,000 households with clean electricity.

Refurbishment: Second generator set nearing completion

The comprehensive refurbishment of the power plant on the Inn River, which was built between 1951 and 1954, has been running at full speed for quite some time. The first of four generator sets has already been successfully renovated and has been supplying reliable and even more efficient green electricity to the grid since mid-May 2025. The assembly work on the second generator set is now entering the final stage with the successful installation of the rotor on Friday 13 March 2026. After its planned initial operation in April 2026, half of the power plant will have already been refurbished.

The roadmap to 2028

• The ambitious schedule lays out the following further steps:
• September 2026: Start of dismantling work on the third generator set
• September 2027: Start of renovation of the fourth and final generator set
• The full refurbishment of the power plant is expected to be completed at the end of 2028

Impressive balance sheet on completion of the refurbishment work

With the refurbishment of the Braunau-Simbach power plant, VERBUND continues to take steps to preserve and modernise its power plants on the Inn River. The core of the project concerns the installation of four new, state-of-the-art Kaplan turbine runners and generators.

Thanks to improved turbine efficiency and a planned increase in the flow rate from 1,070 to 1,260 m³/s, generation can be increased by 11.8% once the project is completed and approved in accordance with water laws. The refurbishment measures will then generate a total of 65 million kWh per year – equivalent to the annual consumption of an additional 18,500 households.

• Total generation: 615 million kilowatt hours per year
• 175,000 households supplied with green electricity
• CO₂ savings: around 25,000 tonnes per year

The modernisation of existing power plants is a central pillar of the power plant strategy. In total, VERBUND is investing around 970 million euros in renewing its Inn River and border power plants. With 80 million euros earmarked for Braunau-Simbach, the Group is making an important contribution to the energy transition and securing sustainable electricity generation from hydropower for decades to come.