VERBUND and Salzburg AG have officially opened the new Stegenwald power plant on the Salzach River in Austria, completed in a construction time of two and a half years.
The €100 million run-of-river facility will produce around 74GWh of electricity each year, supplying about 20,000 households. It also includes the longest fish bypass on the Salzach, designed to enhance habitats for fish, birds, and other wildlife.
The Stegenwald project is the seventh hydropower plant built through the partnership between VERBUND and Salzburg AG. Political and business leaders attended the opening ceremony.
The plant entered trial operation in April, when the reservoir was first filled and the initial generator synchronized with the power grid. The second generator followed in May. Full operation is now underway.
The power plant also introduces a new turbine concept: two Kaplan turbines have been installed horizontally, allowing water to flow from above rather than from the front. This layout enables the turbine house to be overflowed, increasing floodwater discharge capacity by 20% while reducing construction time by a quarter compared to conventional plants. Most of the structure remains underwater, leaving only the weir bridge visible.
Located in the Austrian province of Salzburg, the Stegenwald site is expected to operate for at least 90 years.
