The Kahlenberg run-of-river power station was put into operation in 1927 by the Rheinisch-Westfälische Wasserwerksgesellschaft (RWW) to ensure the supply of electricity to the Dohne and Styrum waterworks. The architects Arthur Pfeifer and Hans Großmann designed a building from Ruhr sandstone, reminiscent of a moated castle.
Behind the listed walls hides the latest technology, most recently, the power plant was completely renovated in 1988/89. Thus RWW adapted the power of the power plant to the very different water supply of the Ruhr. When it rains heavily in winter and the Ruhr overflows its banks, all three turbines of the power station rotate at a drop of five meters. 105 cubic meters of water per second flood in flood times through the pipes under the sandstone building. More water exceeds the capacity of the plant and is passed by the factory. If the Ruhr only runs a small amount of water in the summer, only the smallest turbine that can handle 30 cubic meters per second may run. The electricity is fed to the waterworks Styrum and Dohne. In order to meet modern ecological requirements, RWW set up an unused turbine chamber of the power plant as a fish ascent and descent stairway in 1998.
The twin-tandem composite machine donated by the RWW is regarded as an eye-catcher of a special kind next to the pumping station, which operated as a steam pump until 1977 at the Styrum plant. After its dismantling and monument-appropriate refurbishment it was left to the city of Mülheim as an industrial monument and placed on the sluice island.