Hydropower

Hydropower is currently the most important source of electricity from renewable energies world-wide. It can be used permanently, uses no primary energy source such as coal, gas or oil and thus releases no carbon dioxide. EnBW has relied on this form of reliable, climate-friendly energy production for many years and has an above-average share of hydropower in its energy mix. We thus make an important contribution to environment and climate protection.

Hydropower at EnBW in figures

EnBW, both directly and through participations, operates a total of

• 63 run-of-river power plants
• and 12 pumped storage hydropower plants
• with an installed output of around 3,300 MW.

Our new building project in Rheinfelden

EnBW underlines its commitment in the field of hydropower with the new run-of-river power plant in Rheinfelden. This plant is the biggest building project in the field of renewable energies in Germany. Four bulb turbines, each with an output of 25 MW, will produce around 600 million kWh of electricity each year from the middle of 2010. This will more than triple the annual production in Rheinfelden compared to today's development.

EnBW is planning a further expansion together with EDF in the Rhine power plant Iffezheim. The run-of-river power plant will be expanded by a fifth turbine. It will thus supply 500,000 people with electricity generated without CO2 in future.

In harmony with fauna and flora

EnBW also sets standards in terms of environmental compatibility in all its building projects: By means of so-called fish ladders and the renaturation of sections of the river banks, fish and other microorganisms can continue to migrate and spawn. This helps create an optimum habitat for even discriminating river inhabitants such as salmon in Rheinfelden.

EnBW will continue to extend its activities in the field of hydropower in future - not just in Baden-Württemberg but also in Turkey and selected European countries.