Vodní elektrárna (Libochovice) Hydropower plant

The Water Power Plant in Libochovice is a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, located on the left bank of the Ohře River in the district of Litoměřice. This technical work has a history dating back to the end of the 19th century and has been transformed from industrial plant to current small power plant.

The area was built by Count Jan Josef z Herbersteina, it is inspired by its experience in the production of electricity and electric mill in Koštice. The construction began in 1899 by regulating the river Ohře using a jez which was completed in 1901 to ensure the water drive of the Little Ohře. In 1924, diesel engines were installed to ensure the operation of generators even in the absence of water. After the reconstruction in 1931, the power plant was connected to 21 municipalities, with 4 kilowolts of power supply and 28 kilometers in length, equipped with 28 transformers with a total power output of 611 kilowoltampers.

The engine room has a ground-floor architecture with two wide towers on the front. It is built of brick wall and decorated with stucco. The engine room has a saddle roof, while the towers have flat roofs with wooden roof reinforced with steel supports. The protected area also includes a service house, an economic object, a drive with stops and eat. The feed is short from quarry stone with concrete mouth, while the drain has a stone tile on the banks and a length of approximately 250 metres.

After World War II, the power plant was incorporated into Czech energy plants in 1946. The neglect led to her decline and in 1953 the engine room ceased to function. After the break-up period, a small power plant was built in the original building in 1989, which started operating in 2005. The current operator is EWA Libochovice.

The original equipment included two vertical Francis turbines with 486 horsepower and 70 and 135 kilowatt power generators. The current power plant has two Kaplan turbines with a total output of 500 kilowatts and a power supply of 25,4 cubic meters per second. The annual production is approximately 2,321 gigawatt hours. The technical attractions include the eatery, which was illegally raised by ten centimeters above the allowed cubicle in 2014, which led to the decision of the Regional Authority on the necessity of cutting off part of the eatmeal.

Since 1965, the power plant belongs to the protection zone of the state castle Libochovice and since 1995 it has been protected as a cultural monument. The historical importance of this water work, together with its technical evolution, makes Libochovice an interesting goal for interested people interested in the technical history and connection of industrial development with the protection of cultural heritage.