Utility Selects US-Based Hydropower Innovator Natel Energy to Expand Hydro’s Reach in Austria

Note* - All images used are for editorial and illustrative purposes only and may not originate from the original news provider or associated company.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from any location or device.

Media Packs

Expand Your Reach With Our Customized Solutions Empowering Your Campaigns To Maximize Your Reach & Drive Real Results!

– Access the Media Pack Now

– Book a Conference Call

– Leave Message for Us to Get Back

Related stories

GSE and NuScale Power Develop Hydrogen Simulator Project

GSE Solutions has developed a simulation model for hydrogen...

US Fuel Cell Generates Power and Hydrogen from Water

Engineers at West Virginia University have developed an advanced...

PowerCell Receives Order for MS-500 Marine Fuel Cell System

Swedish hydrogen fuel cell provider PowerCell has signed a...

PowerCell to Supply Hydrogen Fuel Cells for HyFlex System

PowerCell Group has secured its first commercial order to...

In partnership with leading Austrian utility company, Energie Steiermark, Natel Energy has just commissioned its first European hydropower project. Located on a tributary to the River Mur in Graz, Austria, the Sauerbrunn Hydro Project provides a modern, fish-safe source of renewable power expected to generate up to 100MWh annually, powering homes in the local community. What’s more, thanks to Natel’s ecologically-focused approach, the project maintains river connectivity for migratory fish.

As fish safety becomes increasingly critical to western Europe, thanks in part to laws protecting local water ecology like the European Union Water Framework Directive, the demand for hydropower innovation is growing, giving fish-safe restorative hydropower startup Natel Energy the first-mover advantage in helping modernize Europe’s primary renewable energy source in way that meets EU standards.

“Austria, like the rest of Europe, is working hard to swiftly shift its energy sources to a greater number of renewable providers. Energie Steiermark’s sustainable innovation hub, next incubator, selected fish-safe hydropower pioneer, Natel Energy, because in our endeavor to leverage untapped hydropower energy, this technology enables us to do so in a way that helps us both preserve and protect the fish and broader ecology of the region’s waters,” said Andreas Fürst, who led management of the Sauerbrunn Hydro Project for Energie Steiermark.

Providing Hydropower for Logistically Complex Sites

The Sauerbrunn site is both remote and small, making the installation of a conventional hydropower turbine both expensive and challenging for the location. Leveraging the company’s cornerstone technology, the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT), Natel provides a hydropower solution that is compact enough to be easily deployed in “logistically complex” sites and provides the added benefit of improving the environment where it operates.

In fact, the RHT is the only turbine in the world to be fish-safe while still matching standard installation configurations, commanding high efficiency, and being cost-effective.

“The Sauerbrunn project and the partnership between Natel Energy and Energie Steiermark serve as an early proof point that even the most complex sites can accommodate hydropower that supports biodiversity while also generating reliable, renewable power,” said Natel CEO and co-founder Gia Schneider.

Protecting Endangered Fish Species

Natel’s Restoration Hydro Turbine has been shown, through numerous scientific studies, to provide an average of 99% safe passage for key migratory fish species. Conducted at Natel’s fish passage laboratory as well as at Natel’s RHT installations in Oregon and Maine in the USA, the studies have demonstrated safe passage for trout, American eel, and herring. Austrian rivers that are home to the endangered European eel are expected to notably benefit from Natel’s evolved turbine technology, as will rivers inhabited by trout, grayling, salmon, shad and herring.

Working with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, Natel Energy and Energie Steiermark plan to conduct fish testing at the new Sauerbrunn site within the first year of its operation to ensure high safe passage rates for local fish continue.

Natel’s Continued Expansion

The Sauerbrunn Hydro Project marks the third active project for Natel Energy and the springboard for Natel’s continued growth in Europe. The company is rapidly scaling, with an 80 MW project in development in Louisiana in the USA, and a partnership with Symbion Power to supply turbines for up to 33 projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

Latest stories

Related stories

GSE and NuScale Power Develop Hydrogen Simulator Project

GSE Solutions has developed a simulation model for hydrogen...

US Fuel Cell Generates Power and Hydrogen from Water

Engineers at West Virginia University have developed an advanced...

PowerCell Receives Order for MS-500 Marine Fuel Cell System

Swedish hydrogen fuel cell provider PowerCell has signed a...

PowerCell to Supply Hydrogen Fuel Cells for HyFlex System

PowerCell Group has secured its first commercial order to...

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from any location or device.

Media Packs

Expand Your Reach With Our Customized Solutions Empowering Your Campaigns To Maximize Your Reach & Drive Real Results!

– Access the Media Pack Now

– Book a Conference Call

– Leave Message for Us to Get Back