A complementary base load to wind and solar energy
An inconspicuous plant floats in a Munich river, which, in combination with others, should one day be able to replace the base load of entire coal-fired power plants. The new hydroelectric power plants are considered to be particularly compatible with nature.
26.05.2023 – The goal within the next five years is to compensate for at least one coal-fired power plant. This is the view of Richard Eckl, one of the three bosses of Energyminer, into the near future. The company is developing the so-called Energyfish. A first pilot plant in a river in the Munich city area is already in operation and could be visited yesterday Thursday together with the company.
A three-metre-long and two-and-a-half-metre-wide structure floats in the river, connected to the underground, inside of which a turbine is driven by the flow velocity of the river and generates electricity. The system is therefore capable of providing base load capability, i.e. it can supply energy at any time of the day or night, just like a coal-fired power plant, only sustainably. There are only fluctuations due to the flow speed of a river. "According to our calculations, a single Energyfish can supply three to five households a year," says Eckl.
Richard Eckl at the presentation of the pilot plant in Munich (Image: Energyminer)
For a municipality on the Rhine, for example, 100 of the Energie Fische could be installed in a small section of the river next to the shipping channel and thus supply electricity for 300 to 500 households, Eckl calculates on the basis of a potential analysis. The developers of Energyminer basically see the Energyfish as a complement to wind power and solar energy in an increasingly decentralized energy system.
Existing hydropower plants can also provide this base load. The construction of new hydroelectric power plants, on the other hand, is proving difficult in Germany. Although hydropower is in the paramount public interest, i.e. it is generally given priority, like wind power and solar energy, outdated analyses do not provide for expansion. In many authorities, concerns of environmental and species protection are also being pushed forward in order to reject hydropower projects, criticized Martin Richter, President of the Hydropower Association of Central Germany, at an event in March.
In contrast to hydroelectric power plants, Energie Fische does not require intensive approval from the authorities. The so-called small form of approval "one permit" is sufficient, Eckl reports from practice. "The permit is as simple as with a buoy, we are talking about a permit within a few months." The approval of new hydropower plants or extensive conversion measures, on the other hand, is a complex process that often takes several years, states the Federal Association of German Hydroelectric Power Plants.
Installation of the pilot plant a few weeks ago (Image: Energyminer)
According to the company, what makes the approval even easier: the compatibility of the plants with flora and fauna. The pilot plant is located in the middle of a protected biotope. No dam wall, no concrete is necessary. A system designed by scientists also protects fish from penetrating the turbines. Algae and other objects floating in the river cannot penetrate the Energyfish either. Energyminer says it is in constant exchange with environmental associations. According to the company, when it comes into contact with boats or people, the system moves to the side and in the event of flooding or ice, the energy sinks fish to the bottom, but continues to produce.
The aim is now to develop the system ready for series production by the end of the year, says Eckl. Then they want to start the expansion in Germany next year and also take off internationally via the interim five-year goal - the replacement of at least one coal-fired power plant. Mg
source : The Energyfish: New hydropower system goes into pilot operation - energiezukunft