Protests against Kolbnitz power plant: Mölltaler fight for your home!

Protests against Kolbnitz power plant: Mölltaler fight for your home!

Klagenfurt, Österreich - Last Friday, a heated protest broke out in Klagenfurt against the planned culinary compensation power plant Kolbnitz. Around 200 demonstrators, led by the citizens' initiative "We save the Möll", gathered in front of the headquarters of Kelag. With loud pipes and drums, as well as a symbolic "Möll-Leichenzug", they expressed their concern about the possible endangerment of the Möll and their ecosystems, such as meinbezirk.at reported. Your request includes, among other things, the requirement to be included in future negotiations and to secure the ecological state of the river through renaturation.

The project managers of Kelag defend the project as essential to comply with the EU Water Framework Directive. The power plant is said to compensate for gumper fluctuations and supply over 25,000 households with electricity. Despite comprehensive information events and dialogue days over the past two years, Kelag groaned under the pressure of the angry residents, who not only fear possible ecological consequences, but also threatening economic damage to the region. Demonstrator Alexandra Königsreiner criticized the lack of willingness to talk to the state government and emphasized that "the fidelity of hydropower should not be given blind support if a red line is exceeded", as kleinezeitung.at reported.

The protesters are determined and carry slogans like "The water stays in the furniture. It is enough!" Their closed rows illustrate the resistance and the growing unrest among the population against the power plant project. The next steps and possible compromises remain to be seen, but the pressure on Kelag and the state government grows noticeable.