Business & the environment hand in hand
Using hydropower to generate electricity and having ambitious plans to protect nature are not mutually exclusive – as can be seen by the operations run by ENERVIE, a company in which REMONDIS owns a share. ENERVIE runs eco-friendly facilities to produce electricity and extract drinking water and also supports a salmon centre run by volunteers.
Responsible for 370,000 customers
In September 2014, REMONDIS Aqua became a shareholder in ENERVIE – Südwestfalen Energie und Wasser AG. The ENERVIE Group is one of the largest regional energy providers in Germany supplying around 370,000 customers (primarily in the south Westphalian region) with water, electricity, gas and heat.
Actively helping Germany’s switch to renewables
ENERVIE operates numerous power stations, including a pumped storage hydroelectric power station and several run-of-river plants. Using water to generate electricity is helping the country to switch its energy supply from fossils to renewables. Over the years, the company has undertaken a number of steps to improve fish stocks in the rivers. A fish ladder, for example, was built along its run-of-river plant to allow the fish to migrate upstream. This ladder makes it possible for the fish to negotiate the differences in height created by the weirs.
Working together to save the salmon
Moreover, ENERVIE is supporting the voluntary association “Der Atlantische Lachs e.V.” [The Atlantic Salmon], which is trying to save the Atlantic salmon by reintroducing them into rivers. Salmon stocks have been decimated over the last hundred years or so as their natural habitats have been destroyed and obstructions built along their migration paths. All this, however, should soon change. ENERVIE has made it possible for the association to set up one of the largest voluntary run salmon centres on the Hasper Dam.
Sustainable nature conservation: ENERVIE ensures the water in the rivers is of a high quality and supports a voluntary salmon centre on the Hasper Dam.
The centre is located on the company’s grounds and will breed and rear the fish until they are big enough to be released into tributaries of the River Rhine. From there, they will migrate to the North Atlantic until it is time for them to return to spawn. It will still be a while before salmon become an indigenous species in Germany – but the first important steps have already been taken.
A voluntary salmon centre has been set up on the Hasper Dam with ENERVIE’s help
Image credits:
Image 1: photo taken by: Hans Blossey
Image 2: Fotolia, photo taken by: K.-U. Häßler
