pre-alpine river
Conservationists protest against hydroelectric power station on Salzach
On Saturday, nature conservationists took to the streets with flags, banners and signs against the construction of a new hydroelectric power station on the Salzach. Instead, the renaturation of the river must be promoted, the demonstrators demanded at the demo of the “Action Group for Living Space Salzach” near Tittmoning.
On Saturday, nature conservationists took to the streets with flags, banners and signs against the construction of a new hydroelectric power station on the Salzach. Instead, the renaturation of the river must be promoted, the demonstrators demanded at the demo of the “Action Group for Living Space Salzach” near Tittmoning.
The Salzach is Bavaria’s last river in the foothills of the Alps without hydroelectric power plants. It flows 60 kilometers from Salzburg to its confluence with the Inn without weirs and is therefore unique in Bavaria.
“The project would be a disaster for the Salzach,” said Richard Mergner, chairman of the Federal Nature Conservation Agency (BN) in Bavaria, during his speech at the demo. The power plant would harm fish and further cut off the river from the floodplains. In addition, the backwater would lead to the deposition of fine sediment and thus destroy the river bed as a habitat.
According to BN, the Österreichische Verbund AG wants to build the power plant on the Salzach, the border river between Austria and Germany, with the support of the Bavarian state government. As a running water power plant, it would use modern technology that protects the river bed and fish. Nevertheless, in the final stage it would only generate as much electricity as two to three wind turbines, is the criticism of the BN.
“The allegedly “ecologically harmless” power plant would mean the end for the natural further development of the Salzach – with the blessing of the government,” said Mergner.
The BN is not fundamentally opposed to hydropower, the association emphasized. One could think about replacing existing power plants or modernizing them with technologies that protect fish and the river landscape. However, the association rejects the construction of new hydroelectric power plants. In the long run, generating electricity with water makes neither ecological nor economic sense. Energy production with wind power and solar energy is significantly cheaper. Added to this are the consequences of climate change. The power plants would have to be shut down in the event of flooding or insufficient water.
