Hydroelectricity and Ecology - a Contradiction?
Our rivers are living environments, which are to be preserved and protected.
The EU Water Framework Directive stipulates that all over Europe by 2015 and/or in case of granting a potential extension of the deadline by 2027 a “good ecological status shall be reached in all bodies of water. A current study shows a range of possible effects of measures to reach this goal on the utilisation of hydropower in Austria. The results show clearly that the effects present themselves in a very differentiated way and depend on the type, the size and the deployment strategy of the power station. Related to the total Austrian hydropower production it resulted in production losses between 2 and 7 %. Apart from the monetary losses due to production losses, financial impacts on the energy industry with respect to the generation of the ecological permeability of waters within the next 20 years, due to the establishment of fish ladders and the connection of subsidiary water bodies, are to be expected as well. This would require for small-scale hydroelectric power stations investment costs of a dimension of up to 4.5 million euros per year until 2027, and for large power stations it would entail costs of up to 7 million euros per year during this period. These results were presented to the public within the framework of a press conference of the Secretary-General of the then Ministry of Life (now Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism) Werner Wutscher, the spokesperson of the branch production of the Association of Austrian Electricity Companies (VEÖ, Verband der Elektrizitätsunternehmen Österreichs) Mr. Herbert Schröfelbauer, and the President of the Association for the Promotion of Small Hydropower Stations in Austria, Mr. Hanns Kottulinsky on 30 November 2005.