Passau District Council orders immediate execution for the Riedl energy storage plant

Ruling allows project to begin while legal proceedings are ongoing—first on-site activities will start as early as winter 2026/2027

On Friday 3 July 2026, the Passau District Office ordered the immediate execution of the planning approval decision for the Riedl energy storage plant. This removes the suspensory effect of the pending legal actions; the decision is now enforceable and the project can proceed. For VERBUND, as the owner of Donaukraftwerk Jochenstein AG, this is an important step towards the recognition of a key infrastructure project for the energy transition in Bavaria and Austria.

After examining the application, the Passau District Office concluded that there was a particular public interest in its immediate execution. Furthermore, the energy storage plant is capable of averting economic damages in cases where, owing to excess generation of solar electricity, PV systems have to be shut down due to a lack of storage capacity and their operators have to be compensated.

As a European project of common interest (PCI), the Riedl energy storage plant is an accepted building block for a secure, sustainable and independent energy supply in the heart of Europe. With a daily storage capacity of 3.5 million kilowatt hours and an output of more than 300 megawatts, the pumped storage power plant provides large-scale flexibility capacities that are essential for the integration of wind power and photovoltaics. The Riedl energy storage plant can store surplus electricity on a daily basis equivalent to well over 100,000 average domestic PV systems and release it again within minutes when required. Its capacity is sufficient to cover the daily electricity needs of around 350,000 households.

Michael Strugl, CEO VERBUND AG: “After more than 15 years of waiting, spirits are running high. The fact that the planning approval decision is immediately enforceable sends a strong signal regarding security of supply, grid stability and the energy transition in Bavaria and Austria. It protects the project from years of delays and gives us three to five crucial years—time that we urgently need in view of the rapid expansion of wind and solar power.”

Immediate execution removes the suspensory effect of legal actions

Legal actions challenging the planning approval decision are still pending and the Bavarian Administrative Court will rule on these in due course. However, the order for immediate execution issued by the Passau District Office means that the planning approval decision is enforceable and the project can start immediately, while the legal proceedings are still ongoing.

The plaintiffs may apply to the competent court for interim measures. However, as long as there is no contrary court ruling, work may continue on the basis of the planning approval decision that has been declared immediately enforceable.

“During the complex planning approval process, all nature conservation concerns were taken extremely seriously. All objections were addressed in the project. We have great confidence in the Bavarian administration and in the regularity of the procedure. We are therefore optimistic that the outcome will be legally robust and we will start work on the Riedl energy storage plant while this is ongoing,” says Strugl.

Following the order for immediate execution, preparations for the rollout of the Riedl energy storage plant are now proceeding at a rapid pace. As early as summer 2026, environmental monitoring measures will be carried out and tenders for key plant components, including associated pilot testing, will be called for. Initial construction work on site will begin in winter 2026/2027.

Key data on the Riedl energy storage plant

• Generator output: 2 x 150 megawatts

• Reservoir volume: 4.2 million m³

• Upper basin water area: 24 ha

• Average drop height: 331.5 m

• Average Danube outflow: 1,420 m³/s

• Turbine operation flow: 114 m³/s

• Pump operation flow: 85 m³/s

• The lower basins are the Jochenstein and Aschach dams

• Power station site: Municipality of Untergriesbach/Jochenstein district

• Reservoir site: Untergriesbach municipality/Gottsdorf district

About VERBUND in Bavaria

VERBUND has been operating hydropower plants in Bavaria through Donaukraftwerk Jochenstein and Österreichisch-Bayerische Kraftwerke AG since 1952 and through Bavarian power plants since 2009.

VERBUND currently operates 22 run-of-river power plants with an output of around 1,040 MW in Bavaria and on the Austrian/Bavarian border, and generates green electricity from hydropower for 1.8 million households. The Riedl energy storage pumped storage project will increase VERBUND’s investment volume in Bavarian hydropower to around 1.7 billion euros by 2030.