Drought cuts hydropower output in southwestern Germany

Southwestern Germany is experiencing a notable decrease in electricity production from run-of-river hydropower plants due to ongoing drought conditions. Energy provider EnBW reported that the low water levels in rivers are directly impacting the output of these facilities. The company stated that current water levels and discharges at its power plant locations are outside normal ranges.

Smaller hydropower plants, particularly those on rivers like the Kocher, Enz, Jagst, Nagold, and Untere Argen, are most affected. Some of these smaller facilities have been taken offline entirely, while others are operating with reduced capacity. Run-of-river plants, which rely on the natural flow of water, generate less power as river levels drop.

Overall, EnBW's run-of-river hydropower plants have generated only 80% of their reference output by the end of June this year. The month of June alone saw production drop to just 63% of the expected level. Even larger facilities, such as the Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim on the Rhine, produced around 83% of their reference output by the end of June, with June's production at 70%. Similarly, Neckar River hydropower plants generated 83% of their potential output in the first six months, falling to 61% in June.