Climate-neutral by 2035 – based on this promise, EnBW is committed to playing its part in mitigating climate change in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement. With this aim in mind, EnBW will continue to systematically expand renewable energy capacity and phase out the use of coal as an energy source in the medium term. In doing so, the number-one priority is to ensure that the supply of electricity and heat is never under threat. EnBW is therefore embracing the fuel switch principle at its Heilbronn site and initially replacing coal with more climate-friendly natural gas by constructing a new combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant. This switch to natural gas represents a bridge on the way to green gases, such as hydrogen produced from renewable sources, with which complete climate neutrality can then be achieved by 2035.
Project diary
This is where we inform you about important events and milestones relating to the planning and construction of a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant on the Heilbronn site. You will find the latest information here on the timetable for the planning and permit process as well as the progress of the construction work.
November 2024: Work is progressing
Considerable progress was made on the construction site in November 2024. In addition to the foundations, floor slabs and the first of the buildings, the excavation work is also progressing nicely. On the site that was still a field at the start of the year, the outlines of the buildings are now visible and the power plant is slowly taking shape. A total of 1,600 bored piles have already been made and work is now continuing on the construction of the above-ground structures. Building work on the actual plant itself will begin in the new year.
September 2024: New shell construction work
Following the completion of the pile foundations, shell construction work started in July, which included making the base plates and concrete buildings. The foundations have been reinforced so that they can handle the heavy loads of the main components encased in concrete later on. The reinforcements for the power train can be seen in the photo.
July 2024: Receipt of the 1st partial permit in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG)
We have received the 1st partial permit in accordance with the BImSchG for our planned power plant! Receipt of this permit marks an important milestone for our project and means that we can now get started on all construction work. As part of the 2nd partial permit, we will next apply for approval to operate the power plant. We plan to submit the application by the end of 2024. The public were involved in this process. Prior to receiving notification of the 1st partial permit, we had already received a notice of early commencement from the responsible licensing authorities. This permitted us to start certain construction work – at our own risk – even before receipt of the actual permit. Construction work has been underway in Heilbronn on this basis since November 2023. The approval process took a total of 13 months.
April 2024: Work starts on the bored pile foundations
The foundation phase of the construction project is progressing with the construction of around 1,600 bored piles. The bored pile foundations have been designed in such a way that the future loads from the new CCGT power plant will be transferred to the load-bearing Lower Keuper bedrock at a depth of around 10 meters. They bypass layers with less load-bearing capacity in the process. The start of this construction work marks an important milestone for the project team.
March 2024: Completion of the cooling tower refurbishment
The natural draught wet cooling tower has been renovated since July 2023, in which both the cooling internals and droplet separators (shown in the picture) were replaced and the water distribution system was renovated. This work was completed in March and the cooling tower will continue to be used by the new plant.
February 2024: Ground-breaking ceremony and official opening of the construction site
With the start of construction work at the Heilbronn power plant site, EnBW's third "fuel switch" project is now also being realised. State Secretary of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment Andre Baumann, Lord Mayor Harry Mergel, Plant Manager of the Audi site in Neckarsulm Fred Schulze, as well as EnBW Board Member Dirk Güsewell and Head of Generation Portfolio Development Michael Class performed the traditional ground-breaking ceremony on 23 February 2024.
July 2023: Signing of the development plan
On 28 June 2023, the first milestone in the realisation of the Fuel Switch project in Heilbronn was reached. The signing of the urban development contracts in the context of the development plan paves the way for the construction of the power plant, as this creates the necessary legal and planning basis with the city.
Photo (from left, back row: Christoph Rundel (Head of Planning in the Planning and Building Law Office), First Mayor Martin Diepgen, Building Mayor Andreas Ringle, Tilmann von Frantzius (Planning and Building Law Office), Diana van den Bergh (EnBW Project Manager), Jens Rathert (EnBW Project Manager; front row: Lord Mayor Harry Mergel, EnBW Board Member Dr Georg Stamatelopoulos).
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