Editing Neckar (section)

=== Power stations ===
At least since the early 20th century, power stations replaced the historical mills. Since then the Neckar has been used for commercial electricity production through hydroelectric power. Several transregionally known hydro plants can be found at the Neckar: <!-- Please fill up in downstream order -->

* In Horb the construction of a hydroelectric plant was begun at the island front at the level of the Schillerstraße in February 2010. It started producing electricity on April 13, 2011. The hydroelectric plant is expected to produce 2.3 kWh yearly in the future – enough in order to supply about 600 four-person households with electricity. Together with the already existing, refurbished facilities it has an average total power of 437&nbsp;kW. The total investments were about 5.5 million Euro.<ref>[http://www.swtue.de/aktuell/aktuell-detailansicht-stadtwerke-tuebingen/article/wasserkraftwerk-in-horb-am-neckar-gestartet-376.html Pressemitteilung der Stadtwerke Tübingen vom 13. April 2011: ''Wasserkraftwerk in Horb am Neckar gestartet''.]</ref>
* In Rottenburgs district [[Bad Niedernau]] the [[Wasserkraftwerk Bad Niedernau]] can be found.
* In [[Rottenburg am Neckar]] the two power plants [[Flusskraftwerk Beim Preußischen|Beim Preußischen]] and [[Flusskraftwerk Tübinger Straße|Tübinger Straße]].

[[File:Kraftwerk Kiebingen 1905-10 (EfT079A).jpg|thumb|Kombiniertes Wasser –a coal-fired power station in Kiebingen 1910]]

* In [[Kiebingen]] the [[Rottenburg am Neckar|Rottenburger]] clock factory [[Industrialisation in Rottenburg#Junghans|Junghans]] did run since 1903 their [[Wasserkraftwerk Kiebingen|own power plant]], which still produces electricity today. For the clock factory the plant run by water and steam was over-dimensioned, therefore the overproduction was sold. Today the historic powerhouse is under monumental protection. Despite its age, the power plant is a very modern plant with three characteristics: The turbines have an innovative scoop shape which has been developed with computer simulations, special Thordon-Turbine bearings and inflatable rubber dam. A fish pass recreates since the modernization the pervasiveness for the fish migration at the weir.<ref name="EnBw">[http://www.enbw.com/privatkunden/energie-und-zukunft/erneuerbare-energien/wasserkraft/standorte.html EnBw: ''Wasserkraft Standorte'']</ref>
* The [[hydroelectric plant Tübingen-Hirschau]] is located between Hirschau and Tübingen as well as the ''Wasserkraftwerk Rappenberghalde'' which was constructed in 1930. It was refurbished in 1999 and today the two Kaplan turbines produce together with the residual water turbine at the weir upstream in Hirschau 7 million kWh electricity per year. Per second more than 22 cubic metres of water flow through a 1.7&nbsp;km long supply canal to the plant. The plant uses the incline of the Neckar of 7.5 meters.<ref>[http://www.fische-frachter.de/fileadmin/fische-frachter.de/Lernorte/WKA_Rappenberghalde.pdf Projekt „Von Fischen und Frachtern“: ''Wasserkraftwerk Rappenhalde''.] (PDF; 1,3 MB)</ref>
[[File:Tuebingen-stauwehr.jpg|thumb|upright|Tübingen]]

* The [[Wasserkraftwerk Neckarwerk]] in [[Tübingen]] was constructed together with the weir within the frame of the Neckar regulation as one of the first [[roller dam]]s in Germany in 1910/1911. It is used for electricity generation as well as control of the river. Through the weir the water level of the Neckar in Tübingen center is managed. Before the construction of the weir the Neckar was full of gravel banks and hat a very flat waterfront. This can be seen on many photographs and drawings prior to the construction. Moreover, floods, which now and then flooded the back then only few buildings in Wöhrd and sometimes threatened the Neckar bridge have been eliminated with this weir and the other weirs (e.g. in Rottenburg). For fish a fish ladder has been constructed later on. The pedestrian bridge over the weir is an important connection of the two waterfronts between Lustnau and the central Eberhards or Neckar bridge. It also provides a nice view of Neckar, historic city center, abbey church and castle.<ref>[http://www.tuepedia.de/index.php/Stauwehr Tüpedia: ''Tübinger Stauwehr'']</ref>

[[File:Kraftwerk Oberesslingen mittel.jpg|thumb|The Oberesslingen power plant]]
* The [[Oberesslingen Hydro Power Plant|Kraftwerk Oberesslingen]] is a [[run-of-the-river hydroelectricity]] plant between two Neckar islands at river kilometer 195.6 in [[Oberesslingen]]. The plant was constructed in 1929 in the frame of the upgrading to a heavy waterway according to a design made by the architect [[Paul Bonatz]]. It has a capacity of 2.1&nbsp;MW and delivers per year about 12.3 [[GWh]] energy. The average flow ist 45 [[cubic meter]] per second.
* In Esslingen a new [[run-of-the-river hydroelectricity]] plant has been constructed on the Hechtkopf. With a power of 1.25&nbsp;MW and a yearly electricity production of 7.1&nbsp;GWh 4000 people can be supplied with electricity. With the construction of this new power plant the last of the barrages on the Neckar has been equipped with turbines. It is framed by a weir in the Neckar on one side and the historical bridge house over the Hammerkanal (hammer canal) on the other side.<ref name="EnBw" />

[[File:Lauffen-Frankfurt 1891f.jpg|thumb|The power station of Lauffen am Neckar in 1891]]
* The [[Drehstromübertragung Lauffen–Frankfurt]] was on August 25, 1891, the worldwide first [[Electric power transmission|transmission of electric energy with high voltage alternating three-phase current]]. On the occasion of the [[International Electrotechnical Exhibition|International Electrotechnical Exhibition 1891]] the electricity generated by the hydropower plant at the Mühlgraben in [[Lauffen am Neckar]] was upvolted to 15 kV and transported over 175&nbsp;km to [[Frankfurt am Main]] where it did run an artificial waterfall. The power plant was moved up river during the upgrading of the Neckar. The original generator is now located in the [[Deutsches Museum|Deutschen Museum]] (German Museum) in Munich.
* The [[hydropower plant Heilbronn]] lies on the old Neckar in the city center and not on the canal. Therefore, no lock exists here.

[[File:Wehr Wieblingen.JPG|thumb|Weir footbridge over the Neckar at the Wieblingen weir in Heidelberg (built 1925)]]
* At the Heidelberger Karlstor is another barrage with lock; the corresponding power plant is the only underwater hydropower plant at the Neckar. The construction permission the Neckar AG 1994 received for it in 1994 had a number of requirements. Neither were visible changes at the weir which is under monumental protection, nor should the new power plant change the historic cityscape of Heidelberg. The technical solution was a power plant embbeded invisibly under the riverbed.<ref name="EnBw" />
* At the weir in [[Heidelberg]] the weir bridge connects the city districts Wieblingen and Neuenheim.

Additionally, the Neckar is and has been a cooling water supply for coal and nuclear power plants. Near [[Esslingen am Neckar|Esslingen-Zell]] the Neckar cools the [[Altbach Power Station]], one of the most modern bituminous coal power plants in Europe. It consists of two blocks and is located on the area of the two municipalities [[Altbach]] and [[Deizisau]]. It can including its gas turbines and the combination block 4 produce a maximum of about 1270&nbsp;MW of electrical power.

The [[Heizkraftwerk Stuttgart-Gaisburg]], the incineration facility of the [[Kraftwerk Stuttgart-Münster|Kraftwerks Stuttgart-Münster]], the [[Kraftwerk Marbach]], the [[Kraftwerk Walheim]], the [[Neckarwestheim Nuclear Power Station]], the [[Kraftwerk Heilbronn]] and the mothballed [[Obrigheim Nuclear Power Plant]] source their cooling or evaporation water from the Neckar as well.