System power plant Murau – #System Power Plant Murau: 100 % Renewable and Demand-Orientated Energy Supply

Since 2003, the region of Murau in Austria has been pursuing the goal of achieving complete energy supply from renewable sources, including mobility, by 2035. Murau has expanded its hydropower, biomass, wind power, and photovoltaic capacity, producing 400 GWh of electricity and 200 GWh of heat annually. With a regional electricity demand of only 120 GWh, a significant portion of the energy generated is exported.
Murau aims not only to fully supply itself with renewable energy but also to act as a system power plant, exporting electricity and, in the future, hydrogen to other energy markets. To achieve this, three hubs are being developed: “Power to Power Flexibility” (electricity), “Power to Gas to X” (gas), and “Biomass Flexibility” (heat). These hubs work on and test prototype system solutions for cross-sector energy distribution, which can later be applied in real market scenarios.
A methodological approach is used to analyse the system interactions of the hubs with the regional energy system and their role in the broader energy network. In the long term, a digital twin of the Murau System Power Plant will be developed to energetically model and control the entire region.
A key factor for the project’s success is the active involvement of regional stakeholders, who are encouraged to contribute their resources to the system power plant and collaborate through new cooperative business models. Furthermore, awareness of sustainable energy is being promoted throughout the region.
The flagship project #Systemkraftwerk Murau not only pursues technological innovations but also strengthens regional development and fosters knowledge exchange through collaboration with the innovation lab #Innolab.