The Sauerbrunn Hydro Project provides a modern, fish-safe source of renewable power expected to generate up to 100 MWh annually, powering homes in the local community. The .62 m (2 ft) diameter fully-submersible RHT was installed for Austrian utility company Energie Steiermark in the fall of 2022 and is now fully operational. We’re delighted to have the RHT be a part of the continuum of Austria’s rich history of hydropower innovation.

The Sauerbrunn Hydro Project is located on a small tributary to the River Mur near Graz, Austria. The site is adjacent to an existing bypass channel, which returns the flow from the canal to the River Mur. Flow enters the project directly from the canal through a trash rack and slide gate.

The Sauerbrunn site is both remote and small, making the installation of a conventional hydropower turbine both expensive and challenging for the location. Natel's Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) provides a hydropower solution that is compact enough to be easily deployed in “logistically complex” sites and provides the added benefit of improving the environment where it operates.