German court orders approval for 55-unit Rhine hydropower plant using Energyminer tech
What's the deal? The Rhineland-Palatinate Higher Administrative Court has ruled that Germany must grant a permit for a swarm power plant using technology from Munich startup EnergyminerDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The October 15, 2026 decision, reported in early November, orders the federal government to approve a 55-unit installation near the island of Niederwerth in the Rhine, dismissing an appeal by the Federal Republic of Germany.
How it works: Each Energyfish is about three metres long and generates electricity from a river's current, with no dams or major construction required. Multiple units link together to form a swarm power plant. The Niederwerth plant, sought by applicant Helmuth Portugall, is to sit at least 30 metres from the shipping lane.
Why it matters: At the heart of the dispute was how authorities weigh shipping interests against renewable-energy expansion. The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration had cited internal 2020 guidelines that rule out micro-hydropower in navigable channels.
The court rejected that blanket exclusion. It held that the overriding public interest in renewables under Section 2 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) also applies to hydrokinetic plants on federal waterways, requiring a case-by-case balance. The court found no grounds against the Niederwerth plant; only non-motorised recreational boats would need to steer around it.
What's the endgame? Energyminer develops floating current turbines to tap a largely unused energy source. "Our rivers deliver energy day and night, in calm winds, and in the depths of winter," said founder and co-chief executive officer Georg Walder. "The ruling demonstrates the broad reach of Section 2."
By the numbers: A first swarm plant of 124 Energyfish was approved last year near St. Goar, where three units were reported in the water as of early November. The Niederwerth ruling adds a second site and sets a precedent for future permits.
The signal: The decision is primarily a regulatory one, aligning with earlier rulings in Saxony-Anhalt and Bavaria that applied Section 2 to hydropower. It could ease permitting for similar projects, though it guarantees approval nowhere else. The technology remains early-stage at commercial scale, so the St. Goar build-out and real output will matter more than claims in proving whether river power can become meaningful.
Read more: munich-startup.de
Image credit: Energyminer
