Höngg Power Station, Run-of-the-river power station in District 10, Switzerland
The Höngg Power Station is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility on the Limmat River in Zürich's District 10, where water flows through turbines to generate electricity. Its orange-colored building stands out in the industrial landscape with distinctive architectural details from the late 1800s.
The station was built in 1893, marking a turning point when Swiss communities began using flowing rivers to supply electricity to growing cities. This facility became one of the early examples of hydroelectric power bringing modern energy to the Zürich region.
The power station holds class B status in the Swiss cultural property registry, reflecting its engineering and architectural value to the Zürich region.
The site sits directly along the Limmat River and is visible from the walking path that runs beside the waterway. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when you can clearly see the building's color and architectural features.
The facility harnesses the river's natural slope using a rake and turbine system that has operated virtually unchanged for over a century. This enduring design reveals how robustly early hydroelectric installations were engineered.
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