Wasserkraftwerk Gschröff

Crossing the new Traun pedestrian bridge at the museum entrance, visitors to the museum discover another industrial heritage gem of a very special kind. It is not a ruin from the pioneering days of technology, nor is it a rusty, disused plant. No, it is a fully operational small power station, preserved largely in its original condition from the turn of the last century, built between 1888 and 1889 – the first hydroelectric power station built in Austria. And it still supplies electricity to the UPM Steyrermühl paper mill, as do, incidentally, the three other historic power stations purchased by Energie AG – although these are no longer entirely in their original condition – all of which were built between 1878 and 1923.

A few technical details for the engineering enthusiast:

• 3 Voith-Francis turbines, built in 1906 and 1922
• Head 2.75 m
• Useful head 2.35 m
• Total intake capacity: 26 m³/sec
• Turbine output: 470 kW at normal flow
80 kW at very low flow
• Generator capacity 880 kVA

Beyond its head and flow capacity – Gschröff is a 19th-century technical masterpiece: Artfully decorated drive wheels, polished brass dials, marble wall panelling, lamps in a floral Art Nouveau style, elegant measuring instruments – in short, the romantic fascination of mechanics.
As part of the Upper Austria Provincial Exhibition, the UPM Steyrermühl paper mill has opened the power station to the public. Following its acquisition in 2017, Energie AG has refurbished the facility and looks forward to welcoming you to the show power station.

You can reach the Gschröff demonstration power station by crossing the Traun via the wooden bridge at the Papermakers’ Museum and then walking approximately 350 metres downstream.