Controversial energy project Zurich and Schaffhausen plan power plant at the Rhine Falls

An explosive proposal: the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zurich have plans to divert some of the water from the Rhine Falls and turbine it into electricity. Opponents see a Swiss landmark in danger.

Nowhere is the energy contained in flowing water more obvious than at large waterfalls such as the Rhine Falls. And as long as water flows down the Rhine, this energy is available. So why not use the difference in height and the large volume of water to generate electricity?

The comparison is an obvious one, made in the NZZ by Schaffhausen SP National Councillor Martina Munz: "It's like installing solar panels on the Matterhorn." She is one of the opponents of the project. She is also president of the water protection organization Aqua Viva, which is always critical of new hydropower projects.

Munz is concerned about Schaffhausen's landmark, which is also one of Switzerland's landmarks, like the famous peak in Zermatt, the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne or the vineyards of Lavaux.

Rhine Falls power plant would be completely underground

Of course, the plans do not envisage replacing the Rhine Falls with a hydropower plant. Water would merely be diverted above the cataract below the water surface and fed to a turbine. Below the waterfall, it would flow back into the Rhine. The power plant would not be visible from the outside.

However, the plant would remove around 20 percent of the water from the Rhine Falls, making the foaming natural spectacle somewhat less spectacular. A maximum of 125 cubic meters per second could be extracted. In a summer with normal rainfall, around 600 cubic meters flow over the rocks between Neuhausen and Schaffhausen.

According to simulations, the waterfall would look less impressive if the power plant were in operation, especially at medium discharge levels. When the Rhine is at a low level and there is a particularly high flow - over 1000 cubic meters per second at times in recent weeks - the difference is barely noticeable, according to the NZZ.

70 gigawatt hours of electricity could be generated annually in this way - as much as five large wind turbines.

Concerns about tourism and nature

The Rhine Falls attract around one million visitors every year. The power plant would diminish the natural spectacle, criticizes Munz. In addition, there is already a power plant damming the Rhine in Rheinau further downstream. This would reduce the height of the waterfall and impair it. The project also threatens the grayling population, a fish species that is considered "highly endangered" by the federal government.

Supporter of the project is the Schaffhausen councillor Martin Kessler (FDP). "Every kilowatt hour counts," emphasizes the head of the building department, who is also responsible for energy issues.

In 2022, Schaffhausen voters approved a law allowing a second hydropower plant on the Rhine. This could be the one at the Rhine Falls. He is convinced - also based on the simulations - that this would not make the Rhine Falls any less impressive as a natural spectacle.

Rhine Falls power plant would be built on Zurich soil

A power plant at the Rhine Falls is a recurring topic of discussion. Recently, Martin Neukom (Greens), a member of the Zurich cantonal government, brought the project back into discussion. The border between Zurich and Schaffhausen runs through the middle of the river.

During the public hearing for wind and hydropower areas a few days ago, Neukom explained that the canton of Zurich only sees potential for the expansion of hydropower use at the Rhine Falls.

The prerequisite for realization is that all the strict nature and landscape conservation requirements applicable there are met.

There is still only a rough feasibility study for an underground run-of-river power plant at the Rhine Falls on Zurich soil. Zurich and Schaffhausen must also first include the potential plant in their development plans. A lot of water will therefore still be flowing down the Rhine before it can actually be tapped.