Biomass with class

“Mega-turbine” fuels the fight against the climate crisis

The 50-ton turbine will boost the energy transition in St. Pölten.(Bild: DANIELA MATEJSCHEK)

Wood and its gentle use should ensure that the eco-energy turnaround in the vast country never fizzles out . . .

Our district heating network has been supplying the city with environmentally friendly heat and hot water for 60 years. It has now grown to a length of 78 kilometers. We have been able to connect around 40 percent of households and public buildings," said Mayor Matthias Stadler in St. Pölten, while a 50-tonne turbine hovered above his head. This will be the heart of the new biomass plant.

A powerful icing on EVN's cake: around two thirds of the heat required will be supplied via Austria's longest district heating pipeline from the waste heat from the waste incineration plant in Dürnrohr operated by the ecologically-minded supplier. In order to further increase the proportion of environmentally friendly energy, this natural heating plant of a particularly gentle kind is now being built on the site of the Salzer company on Stattersdorfer Hauptstraße in cooperation with industry, the provincial capital and EVN.

This project, which is so important in the fight against climate change, is embedded in an even larger environmental universe. This is because the state is putting together a 25 million euro package - the driving force behind which has been nature conservation councillor Stephan Pernkopf for a small eternity on earth. It is to take effect when the sun naturally weakens in the darker winter. EVN CEO Stefan Szyszkowitz is also proud: "When the pilot project goes into operation, we will be able to supply more than 15,000 households with the cleanest green electricity."