The hydroelectric plant in Tel/Töll (later nown as AEC-EW and AE-EW) was
the first large power plant in South Tyrol, built on the initiative of the Mayor of Merano/Meran and Bolzano/Bozen and designed by the Munich engineer Oscar von Miller in 1897; it was connected to the power grid on April 5, 1898.
On the site was formerly located the sawmill belonging to the father of
the most famous citizen of Parcines/Partschins, Peter Mitterhofer, inventor of the typewriter. The waters from the Etsch river pass through a 16 m long weir at the level of Tel, making it a unique contemporary historical monument. The water enters the surge tank, which is situated at an elevation of 496 m above sea level just above the power station, via a 480 meter long free-flow tunnel with a total volume of 6000 cubic meters. The waters of the Etsch river are dammed here, and the lock house located on three masonry columns covered with porphyry stone, built in 1925 for the operation of the lock. It was renovated in 2003, maintaining its original style, as was the former Zieglbrugg (so named because it was once covered by a roof).
There was already an
arched bridge built at this site during Roman times, as attested by documents housed in the Johanneum in Innsbruck dating from the 14th and 16th century.
The
Peter Mitterhofer cultural trail towards Rablà/Rabland starts next to the two marble plaques commemorating the construction of the power station, as does the Marlinger Waalweg trail (irrigation channel) as well as the nearby Algunder Waalweg trail (irrigation channel); one of the plaques dates from the
Austro-Hungarian era and the other from the
Fascist era on the occasion of its expansion.
Hydroelectricity from Alperia: https://www.alperiagroup.eu/en/our-identity/our-energy/hydroelectricity