Protests - Demo against planned hydropower plant on the Salzach
The BUND Naturschutz calls together with other nature and environmental organizations for a protest against the planned water power plant on the Salzach between Laufen and Burghausen. "The project would be a disaster for the Salzach," explains BN chairman Richard Mergner.
The power plant would harm fish and further separate the river from the floodplain. In addition, the backwater would lead to the deposition of fine sediment and thus destroy the riverbed as a habitat. "The supposedly 'ecologically harmless' power plant would mean the end for a natural further development of the Salzach – with the blessing of the government," so Mergner.
With 225 kilometers, the Salzach, from its source in the Kitzbühel Alps to its mouth in the Inn at Haiming, is the longest and most water-rich tributary of the Inn. The Austrian Verbund AG plans, with the support of the Bavarian state government, a new water power plant in the "Tittmoninger Becken" between Laufen and Burghausen. It would be the first water power plant on the Salzach in Bavaria, while there are already numerous power plants on the Austrian side.
Demonstration on Saturday - Almost 11,000 signatures against the project
The environmentalists demand the preservation of the Salzach in Bavaria without weirs. "Together with their floodplains, the Salzach forms one of the last intact habitat axes between the Alps and the Danube Basin – home to rare animals and plants and a European protected area of the highest rank," said Beate Rutkowski from the Bund Naturschutz.
Water power is an important factor in Bavaria's energy supply and accounts for an share of around 15 percent of the public power supply. While water power is a clean and emission-free energy, the construction of power plants is often controversial due to the effects on rivers. The large water power plants with an output of at least 1,000 kilowatts mainly lie on the Alpine Danube tributaries Iller, Lech, Wertach, Isar and Inn, as well as on the Danube and Main. In 2021, there were 4,248 water power plants in Bavaria according to the Bavarian Environment Agency.
Apart from the demonstration on Saturday (20. July), critics of the construction project are also collecting signatures against the plans on the internet. Almost 11,000 people have already signed the appeal.
- The protest against the hydropower plant on the Salzach is being supported by various associations, including the Federation for Nature Protection in Bavaria.
- Richard Mergner, the chairman of BUND Naturschutz, believes that the proposed hydropower plant in Burghausen would harm the ecology of the Salzach significantly.
- According to Mergner, the Austrian Verbund AG's planned hydropower plant in the "Tittmoninger Becken" between Laufen and Burghausen would disrupt the natural flow of the Salzach and potentially harm local fish species.
- The environmentalists argue that the Salzach, which runs through the Alps and is a crucial habitat for rare animals and plants, should be preserved without any obstructions like hydropower plants.
- Austrian Verbund AG, with the support of the Bavarian state government, intends to establish a hydropower plant on the Salzach in Bavaria, which would be the first of its kind in the region.
- The construction of hydropower plants is often a contentious issue due to their impact on river ecosystems, and many believe that renewable energy sources like wind and solar power should be prioritized over hydropower.
- The controversy surrounding the proposed hydropower plant has led to a collection of signatures against the plans on the internet, with over 11,000 people expressing their concerns and support for environmental protection in the Salzach region.
