EKOenergy’s Environmental Fund

River restoration projects

EKOenergy finances river restoration projects to mitigate the impact hydropower generation has on nature. It’s one of the ways consumers of EKOenergy-labelled hydropower make a positive difference.

  • For each megawatt-hour of EKOenergy-labelled hydropower, a contribution of 0.10 euro (ten cents) is paid into EKOenergy’s Environmental Fund. This payment comes on top of the contribution to the Climate Fund, which is due for all EKOenergy-labelled energy, regardless of the origin.
  • The Environmental Fund contributions are used to finance the implementation of river restoration and protection projects.
  • The projects take place in the countries where EKOenergy-labelled electricity has been produced or sold.
  • We don’t manage the projects by ourselves. We organise calls for projects and a jury of independent experts helps us select the most impactful proposals. All measures are implemented by experienced organisations.

We financed the first projects in 2015 and, since then, have financed 26 projects with a total sum of 455,000 €.

River stories: examples of financed river restoration projects

25,000 € to restore the natural structure of the Maijalankoski river in Finland
21,984.94 € for the revitalisation and restoration of the Schnegaer Mühlenbach in Germany
25,000 € to restore migration routes in Southwest Finland

Map with all financed projects

Click on the icon in the top left of the map () to see the full list of funded projects, select all projects of a specific year, and to see more information about the projects.

More information about the financed river projects

For more information and updates about the river restoration projects that are financed through our Environmental Fund:

50,000 € to remove fish migration barriers in Pirkanmaa, Finland
8,000 € for a brown trout repopulation project in Finland
50,000 € to restore Vihtijoki river

3,700 € to Merikarvianjoki Kalakierros organisation’s project to restore spawning habitats
9,000 € to save endangered freshwater pearl mussels in Finland
21,000 € to restore habitats of the endangered river mussel in Germany