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Climate change threatens hydropower: New challenges for Salzburg!
On March 8, 2025, Markus Matschl will discuss the challenges of hydropower in the region, TV report on ORF2 at 7 p.m.
Climate change threatens hydropower: New challenges for Salzburg!
Hydropower in Austria is facing enormous challenges! Markus Matschl, Head of Renewable Energy at Salzburg AG, pointed out the current situation: "We are currently generating slightly less than planned and are compensating for the lower generation in the run-of-river power plants by using storage power plants. These are now being used more intensively," he said. The effects of climate change on hydropower are worrying, leading to a loss of head in run-of-river power plants and thus to lower electricity production, as has already been the case Lebenswelten.salzburg-ag reported.
Another key problem is the increasing frequency of extreme weather events that affect water flow. While floods occur in some phases, other regions experience long dry periods. According to Matschl, these diverse weather fluctuations lead to unprecedented stress for both people and water systems. The increase in sediment in rivers like the Salzach also poses new challenges for flood protection and energy production. “We cannot rest on our laurels here, but more needs to happen around the power plants in the future,” emphasizes Matschl.
The look into the future
Markus Matschl points out that large seasonal storage facilities are necessary in order to optimally distribute the amounts of energy. Hydropower already draws on annual storage, but the potential for improvement is far from exhausted. In particular, the melting of glaciers, which previously stored a lot of water, is aggravating the situation. This causes the snow to melt more quickly and the water flow to become unpredictable, causing energy production to increase briefly but then drop significantly again.
"These are just some of the challenges we face. But there also needs to be a certain political and social will for something to be done in the area of hydropower. We're sticking with it!" says Matschl. The future of hydropower is in the balance, and the necessary measures are urgently needed to ensure that the energy supply continues to be sustainable and reliable.