The attending high-ranking representatives from the economy and politics unanimously agreed that the energy policy of the Alpine Republic needed an urgent change to be able to still fulfil the agreed Kyoto targets. Provincial Councillor Sepp Eisl underlined in this connection the importance of renewable energy from hydropower and highlighted the cutting edge of “his” province Salzburg.

In his survey of the present situation in small hydropower in Austria, Kleinwasserkraft Österreich President Hanns Kottulinsky showed highly pleased that an important step in the right direction had been made with the extension of the startup deadlines for revitalised small hydropower stations.

Kottulinsky: “Irrespective of the date of the authorisation under the water law, operators of revitalised small hydropower plants (in case of an annual capacity increase of more than 15 percent) are now entitled to the feeding tariff guaranteed for 13 years – if revitalisation work is completed before 31 December 2007. At the same time, the tariff guarantee for existing plants licensed before 1 January 2003 has been extended to 31 December 2008.”

Kottulinsky finally reminds those small hydropower plant operators, whose revitalisation measures have not started yet, to hurry: “Because another extension is not to be expected!”

The areas of judicature and legislature were covered by the lectures by Markus Kurz-Thurn-Goldenstein of the Provincial Government of Salzburg (on the “Power station Harbach” case) and Peter Draxler (Kleinwasserkraft Österreich/ Salzburg) – who spoke about the latest developments in the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. Summarising, Draxler said that the situation of operators will “certainly not become easier”.

Thus, the new construction of plants would only be possible in individual cases due to the “prohibition of deterioration” laid down in the directive. Principally, it was not comprehensible that the EU Commission on the one hand demands an increase of the share of renewable energies, and on the other, that the Water Framework Directive largely curtails this cost-efficient form of eco-power.

With this opinion, the expert is in good company, since this dilemma was also highlighted by Günther Grassl of the Federal Economic Chamber (and before that repeatedly by the Economic Chamber of Upper Austria).

Christian Paál’s (BMLFUW) and Christoph Huber’s presentations also dealt with the Water Framework Directive. Paál reported on monitoring processes and on the risk assessment being presently developed with public participation as a basis for the compilation of catalogues of measures.

The implementation of the packages shall begin in 2012. The range of implications of the Water Framework Directive in connection with the Water Act on the Austrian power industry is the subject of a study presented by Christoph Huber.

Hartmut Liedl of the Salzburg AG reasoned whether providing financial security for hydropower plants was necessary and reasonable. The expert presented in this connection the “Cooperation model for small hydropower operators” offered by Salzburg AG, which provides a fixed monthly payment irrespective of production. The account is balanced at the end of the year.

“Fluctuations in precipitation occurring over the years can be balanced by means of so-called weather derivatives,” said Liedl, who thus regards a major risk factor for operators as alleviated. Contributions by Regina Petz-Glechner (“Types of fish migration structures and their functional control”) and Hugo Kofler dealt with technical issues in hydropower plants.

The civil engineer outlined the results of the study “Residual water management by the example of running waters in Styria”, which finally resulted in a code of practice for minimum discharge amounts. This guide intends to bridge nature protection law, water law, and profitability and shall provide guiding principles for the planning of ecologically compatible minimum discharge amounts by indicating benchmarks. However, Kofler warns that this could not replace individual expertise.

The exchange of opinion and experience closed with an excursion to the three hydropower stations Bachwinkel (Salzburg AG), Mühlbach (Energie AG), and Kaprun (AHP). An exhibition offered suppliers and planners the opportunity to present their products and services in a customer-oriented way.
(Source: aqua press Int. 4/2005, DI Peter Schubert)

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