The Friedrichssegen hydropower plant is one of the oldest in Germany and was built in 1906. It was expanded in 1915, and renovations and expansions of the machinery took place in 1937, resulting in a 30% increase in power output. The three-phase generators from 1906 and the turbines from 1937 are still in operation today.

On the History of Electricity

Electricity made its entrance into Lahnstein and its surroundings around the turn of the 19th/20th century. Many municipalities built power plants, which were financed through the establishment of joint-stock companies. With the founding of the Main Power Plants in Höchst in 1910, the electricity independence of individual municipalities became a thing of the past. The AG expanded by purchasing the municipal enterprises, deactivating them, and simultaneously constructing a transmission network that supplied the districts.
Lahnstein did not have a municipal power plant; in 1913, Main Power Plants AG acquired the riverside power plant Friedrichssegen, which then supplied the towns of Ober- and Niederlahnstein. This contract created a competitor for the municipal gasworks, leading to agreed compensation amounts. These amounted to 2000 marks in the first year, 3000 marks in the second, and 4000 marks annually in the following years. Additionally, the municipal gas plant was granted a percentage of the revenues.

Discover Hydropower

The hydropower plant, a plastered building with brick elements, is one of the oldest in Germany and was built in 1906. It was expanded in 1915, and renovations and expansions of the machinery occurred in 1937, resulting in a 30% increase in power output. The three-phase generators from 1906 and the turbines from 1937 are still in operation today.

The energy generation from renewable energies such as hydropower is part of the Süwag strategy. Visitors can directly experience how "green" energy is produced at Friedrichssegen.