Also Read: Texas is full of oil wells that barely produce but never seem to die, and landowners say the real cost is leaking onto their property<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSolar panels<\/a> stop at sunset and wind turbines can slow down, but river currents keep moving, which means a steadier stream of clean electricity when homes, businesses, and the electric bill all keep demanding power.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy this stretch of river<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sankt Goar was not chosen by accident. The Middle Rhine narrows here, accelerating the water to about 1.5 to 2 meters per second (5 to 6.5 ft.\/sec), which officials say is ideal for the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energyminer\u2019s own technical page<\/a> lists each Energyfish at about 2.8 by 2.4 by 1.4 meters (9.2 x 7.9 x 4.6 ft.) and roughly 80 kilograms (176 lbs.) with a maximum output of 6 kilowatts. The company also says a school of 100 units can produce about 1.5 gigawatt-hours a year. Quiet, mostly hidden, and small\u2013that is the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlso Read: Cuba\u2019s energy crunch is turning solar power into an economic lifeline<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe hard part is not the engineering. It is ecology. Conventional hydropower<\/a> often comes with dams, blocked migration routes, and reshaped habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThis project is trying a different route. The units are suspended in the river, anchored to the bed, and do not require a weir. The state ministry says a Technical University of Munich<\/a> study found the turbines did not injure migratory fish in the Rhine or alter their behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\nTUM\u2019s own project page also makes clear that ecological testing is central to judging whether this technology can scale responsibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rhine-river-energy-fish-swarm-power-plant-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
The world\u2019s first swarm power plant in Sankt Goar uses 124 floating “Energyfish” units to provide a steady stream of carbon-free electricity without the need for dams.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA small project with bigger stakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are limits, of course. Not every river is deep enough or fast enough to host a system like this, and officials say more projects should follow only in suitable locations. So no, this is not a magic fix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nAlso Read: A massive gold deposit valued at over $160 billion has been discovered in China<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBut Energyminer co-CEO Richard Eckl called St. Goar the company\u2019s “proof of scale,” and that is really what this project is: a test of whether a river can deliver more clean power without another large dam, more noise, or a bigger construction footprint on the landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that is why this quiet stretch of the Rhine matters beyond one town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official statement was published on Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility of Rhineland-Palatinate<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What happens when the wind drops and the sun slips away? Officials in Germany think part of the answer may … <\/p>\n
Why this stretch of river<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sankt Goar was not chosen by accident. The Middle Rhine narrows here, accelerating the water to about 1.5 to 2 meters per second (5 to 6.5 ft.\/sec), which officials say is ideal for the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energyminer\u2019s own technical page<\/a> lists each Energyfish at about 2.8 by 2.4 by 1.4 meters (9.2 x 7.9 x 4.6 ft.) and roughly 80 kilograms (176 lbs.) with a maximum output of 6 kilowatts. The company also says a school of 100 units can produce about 1.5 gigawatt-hours a year. Quiet, mostly hidden, and small\u2013that is the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hard part is not the engineering. It is ecology. Conventional hydropower<\/a> often comes with dams, blocked migration routes, and reshaped habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This project is trying a different route. The units are suspended in the river, anchored to the bed, and do not require a weir. The state ministry says a Technical University of Munich<\/a> study found the turbines did not injure migratory fish in the Rhine or alter their behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n TUM\u2019s own project page also makes clear that ecological testing is central to judging whether this technology can scale responsibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are limits, of course. Not every river is deep enough or fast enough to host a system like this, and officials say more projects should follow only in suitable locations. So no, this is not a magic fix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But Energyminer co-CEO Richard Eckl called St. Goar the company\u2019s “proof of scale,” and that is really what this project is: a test of whether a river can deliver more clean power without another large dam, more noise, or a bigger construction footprint on the landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that is why this quiet stretch of the Rhine matters beyond one town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official statement was published on Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility of Rhineland-Palatinate<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What happens when the wind drops and the sun slips away? Officials in Germany think part of the answer may … <\/p>\nAlso Read: Cuba\u2019s energy crunch is turning solar power into an economic lifeline<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
A small project with bigger stakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: A massive gold deposit valued at over $160 billion has been discovered in China<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n