Pumping stations often interrupt vital fish migration routes, with potentially fatal consequences. At the Kudensee pumping station in Schleswig-Holstein, a newly developed axial pump designed to significantly reduce the mortality risk of fish when passing through the pump has now been tested for the first time.
Installed in August 2024, the pump prototype was developed by a consortium consisting of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Tallinn University of Technology, Université Grenoble Alpes, and the Institute for Aquatic Ecology & Fish Biology Jena, together with the manufacturer KSB Service GmbH. The goal was to develop a fish-friendly pump that could replace existing machinery without substantial structural modifications at the pumping station.
For animal welfare reasons, simulations with virtual fish, laboratory tests and sensor measurements were first carried out, followed by the practical on site test involving six species of real fish at the end of 2025. Supported by the Deich- und Hauptsielverband Dithmarschen and the Landesangelverband Schleswig-Holstein e.V., the IGF Jena conducted a three-week-long study for this purpose. Newly developed biologgers (backpack sensors) and innovative passive sensors for optimised measurement of impact events provided detailed insights into the physical conditions experienced by fish during pump passage for the first time.
The successful study yielded promising results regarding the improvement of fish protection at pumping stations.
