The construction of water scarp on the Pasłęka river in the town of Braniewo started in 1857. Then, a constant weir of concrete-stone construction was built, in a shape of the river bar, and dammed water was used to move the water mill which was built there.

Water Power Plant Braniewo, photo archive

The water power plant was built in the 1830s and it operated almost until the end of the Second World War, till its above-ground part was destroyed.

In spite of damages, two vertical Franis turbines remained in a good condition: T-1 turbine, which is a twin turbine, and T-2 turbine, which is a double turbine with separately steered bottom and top rotors, which enables to use the head at low levels of dammed water in a more economical way.

Turbines were probably manufactured by the former Elblag company called Schichau Werke. Rated power of turbines amounts to: T-1 - 250 kW and T-2 - 150 kW, and nominal discharge of water of T-1 turbine amounts to: 17,5 m3/s and T-2 - 10,5 m3/s.

Water Power Plant Braniewo – view at the generator

Electric energy of the operating generators with the voltage of 0,4 kV is led out with the use of two cables to the station 0,4 kV Braniewo Śródmieście.

The reconstruction of water power plant after war began in 1950s. The Energy Management of Northern District in Bydgoszcz, on behalf of which the Energy Distribution Network Plant in Olsztyn acted, dealt with the reconstruction. The power plant started operating in August 1964.

The elements which dam up water of the Pasłęka river are: an overflow-gate weir, the underwater part of the water power plant building as well as the earth-fill dam (island) situated between the weir and the power plant. The dam is secured from the side of high water with a tight Larsen wall with concrete top plate.

Water Power Plant Braniewo – view from outside

The water power plant in Braniewo is an example of flow power plant. Till the end of 1969 it worked with the head lowered in relation to the defined one, on the basis of the first aquatic-legal permission.

In 1969, the movable part of the weir was completed (gates) and by virtue of decision of the Board of the Province People’s Council in Olsztyn, the water power plant was given permission to use the maximum power of damming, i.e. up to 3,56 m a.s.l. and it worked that way until 1981.

The current aquatic-legal permission of 22nd February 1988 maintains damming at the level of 3,10 m a.s.l. between 1st April and 31st October, and from 1st November to 31st March at the level of 3,56 m a.s.l.

Decisions of the Province Office in Elbląg obliged the owner to temporary lower the water damming. The changes in the height of damming were caused by appeals against the successive decisions concerning the damming height, due to inundations of gardens and flooding the cellars in the coastal buildings of Braniewo.