Markersbach
Facts
Country
Germany
Electricity Capacity
1,050 MWe
Stream
Große Mittweida
Head
288 m
Water discharge
6 x 70 m³/s
Turbine type
Francis
Vattenfall ownership share
100 %
Status
In Operation
The Markersbach pumped storage power plant is located on the Mittweida river in the Western Ore Mountains.
The six pump turbines of the Markersbach power plant were commissioned between 1979 and 1981.
The upper reservoir can hold around 6.6 million cubic metres of working water, which is enough to power the turbines at full load for approximately four hours. The power plant takes less than two minutes to ramp up to full power from a standstill. This rapid availability makes the power plant an important component of the energy revolution, as it can respond to heavy fluctuations in renewable energy supply. Pumped storage plants guarantee network stability.