Leipheim Run-of-River Power Plant

Electricity generation at the Donaukraftwerk Leipheim has been CO2-free for 50 years. In the anniversary year, a state-of-the-art, fully automated screen cleaning plant went into operation.2011, the run-of-river power plant Leipheim in the district Günzburg could celebrate a big birthday. The ODK (Upper Danube Power Plants AG) belongs to 60 percent of Rhein-Main-Donau AG (RMD) and to 40 percent of Energie Baden-Württemberg Kraftwerke AG. At the end of the year, the Leipheim power plant looked back on half a century of successful continuous operation in the service of environmentally friendly, regenerative power generation.35,000 tonnes of CO2 savingsSince its commissioning in 1961, Leipheim has generated an average of around 50 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year from its two Kaplan turbines with a total output of 9,370 kilowatts. Compared to conventional power generation, around 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) are avoided each year.This is how water turns into electricitySince the start of operation, the Leipheim power plant has generated more than 2.5 billion kWh. Here a fall height of the water of 5.85 meters is used. For this purpose, the required water is dammed up at three Wehrfeldern, with up to 210 cubic meters per second, which corresponds to about 1,350 bathtub fillings to drive the turbines and generate CO2-free electricity via the coupled generators.Leipheim could get by for 16 years with an annual power generationThe annual power generation of the Leipheim power station corresponds to the electricity requirement of more than 14,200 average households. With an annual production from the Leipheim Danube power plant, the household electricity demand of the more than 6,600 inhabitants of Leipheim could be met for almost six years. The households of the district of Günzburg could be supplied with a Leipheimer annual electricity production for just under 15 weeks.Innovations in the anniversary yearIn September of the anniversary year 2011, a new, state-of-the-art rake cleaning plant went into operation at the power plant. Since then, it has been fully automated to ensure that all Danube water flows through the fine rake. The ODK invested around 1.2 million euros in the project. The refurbishment and refurbishment was entrusted to the operating company of the power plant, Bayerische Elektrizitätswerke GmbH (BEW), a subsidiary of Lechwerke AG (LEW).

One of many hydropower plants on the Danube. Interesting to look at

the Donauweg leads directly past the power plant. A beautiful bike path.