Power plants are technical facilities that are used to generate electrical energy from various primary energy sources. These facilities are of central importance for the energy supply in Austria and Europe, as they form the basis for electricity generation and thus support the economic and social infrastructure.

There are various types of power plants, which differ in terms of the energy source used. The most common types include

1. Fossil-fuelled power plants: these power plants use fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or oil to generate electricity. Fossil-fuelled power generation plays a lesser role in Austria, but it is still important in many other European countries.
2. Nuclear power plants: These use the energy produced by nuclear fission to generate steam that drives turbines. There are currently no active nuclear power plants in Austria, but they are used in some neighbouring European countries.
3. Renewable power plants: These power plants generate electricity from sustainable sources such as water, wind, sun and biomass. Austria has a high proportion of renewable energy in its electricity mix, with hydropower as the leading source. Around 60% of the electricity generated in Austria comes from renewable sources.

Power plants are essential for the stability of the electricity grid. They ensure that sufficient energy is available when demand increases. Especially in times of high consumption peaks, such as on cold winter evenings or during heatwaves in summer, power plants are crucial to maintaining security of supply.

The energy transition in Europe and Austria aims to reduce the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation and promote the transition to a low-carbon economy. This will lead to increased investment in renewable technologies and a steady deinvestment in fossil-fuelled power plants. In this context, existing power plants must be modernised or shut down in order to achieve climate targets and minimise CO2 emissions.

The development of new technologies is also important in order to increase the efficiency of electricity generation. For example, modern gas-fired power plants utilise combined cycle technologies that generate both electricity and heat, thereby increasing overall energy efficiency.

The role of power plants will become increasingly dynamic in the future as the integration of energy storage systems and smart grids becomes more important. These systems make it possible to store surplus energy from renewable sources and release it when needed, increasing the flexibility of the energy system.

To summarise, power plants are essential for the electricity supply in Austria and Europe. However, they must adapt to the challenges of climate change and find innovative solutions to support the transition to a sustainable and resilient energy future. The ongoing change in the energy market will be significantly characterised by the development and integration of renewable energies, with power plants playing a key role in this transformation.