International Campaign
On this page, you’ll find key information about the international campaign to stop the Kaunertal Hydropower Extension project. This campaign aims to build pressure on the European level and beyond, and invites everyone — from kayakers and scientists to artists and citizens — to take part.
The project’s developers, TIWAG succeeded in placing part of the project on the EU’s Projects of Common Interest list — a label meant for infrastructure that serves Europe’s “common good.” Yet this project would flood alpine wetlands, drain free-flowing rivers, and harm local communities and biodiversity.
Such destruction cannot be part of a just energy transition. That’s why we’re taking this campaign beyond Tirol — to share facts, connect people, and show that protecting rivers is in the common interest.
Through a series of blog posts, we explain what’s at stake, who’s behind the project, and what we can do to stop it.
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Why we’re here
The Ötztal Valley lies at the heart of the Alps. You may know it from the legendary Oetz Trophy (formerly Adidas Sickline), from World Cup alpine skiing in Sölden, or you’ve heard stories about Ötzi, the oldest mummy ever found in one of the glaciers. Its glaciers feed its waters. And its primary river, the…
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The Kaunertal Extension Project
Kicking off this series of blog posts, we’ll take a closer look at what TIWAG (Tiroler Wasserkraft AG) actually plans to build. What would be constructed, how would it affect the environment, and what would it mean for the people living around the project area? A “simple extension”? Hardly. Fourteen years ago, TIWAG first presented…
