Small power station in the Alm Canal – salzburg.ORF.at

Together against constantly rising electricity prices. This explains the idea behind energy communities, which have been legally possible since 2021. A so-called water snail is to be built at the level of Leopoldskronstraße/corner of Sinnhubstraße. The plans and approvals for this have been in a drawer for years, and the Green Electricity Exchange Association is now taking the project into its own hands. Construction should start in autumn, says electrical engineer Sepp Pichler.

“The intrusion in the area is minimal. First, the canal has been in operation for 1,000 years. 60 years ago, a power plant was abandoned at this point. As a result, the water is currently splashing down the canal largely unused – and we want to actively use that again,” explains Pichler.

Legal basis created in 2021

It was not until 2021 that the legal basis for energy communities was created. People are allowed to join forces and use self-generated electricity – through wind, water or photovoltaics – together.

Anyone who wants to invest in the Sinnhub project – as the small hydroelectric power station on the Alm Canal is called – pays a one-time fee of 4,000 euros and then receives electricity that is not subject to price fluctuations on the market, explains Erik Schnaitl from the green electricity exchange in Salzburg.

“Still looking for investors”

“We are still looking for people who want to become beneficiaries. We currently have 45 to 50 participants, but are looking for a total of around 200 interested parties. So there is still potential there. Construction will start in September, and then the Alm will be ‘turned off’. Then the foundations have to be concreted and electricity should be supplied from January or February,” says Schnaitl.

The households are not completely self-sufficient even then, but a good half of the energy requirements will be covered by hydropower in the future, the green electricity exchange promises.

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