The Venue

HYDRO 2024 RETURNS TO AUSTRIA

Austria has a long hydropower heritage, and more than half (53 per cent) of the country’s electricity comes from hydro. There is nearly 15 GW of hydro capacity in operation, and Austria is Europe’s most active country for pumped storage, with four new pumped-storage plants under construction, totalling 865 MW, and several more planned, including Kaunertal (1015 MW) in the Tyrol, and Ebensee (170 MW) in Upper Austria.

Construction of small and medium-scale run-of-river schemes is also continuing, and Verbund is currently focusing on upgrading and repowering existing plants, as well as testing new storage technologies.

GRAZ AS HOST CITY

Graz is the capital of Styria, in Austria, and the largest city in the province, which is a green and heavily forested region on the eastern edge of the Alps. It is located in the Graz Basin and surrounded by mountains and hills to the north, east and west.

At the heart of its old town is Hauptplatz, the medieval main square. The narrow surrounding streets blend Renaissance and baroque architecture. A funicular leads up Schlossberg, and the Uhrturm, a centuries-old clock tower. Across the River Mur, the futuristic Kunsthaus Graz exhibits contemporary art.

It is a vibrant university town. Many experts from the world-renowned TU Graz are frequent contributors to the HYDRO conference programmes each year, and will have much to present this time, including a possible visit to the hydraulic laboratory.