Coal phaseout at Stuttgart-Münster
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. For EnBW, this partly means continuing to systematically expand renewable energy capacity, while also pursuing its aim of phasing out the use of coal in the medium term and the use of fossil fuels as an energy source in the long term. EnBW is one step closer to achieving this aim with the construction of a new gas turbine plant for generating electricity and heat based on more climate-friendly natural gas at its Stuttgart-Münster site. The fuel switch to more climate-friendly natural gas is just a bridging technology on the way to energy generation using green gases such as hydrogen produced from renewable sources.
Project diary
This is where we inform you about important events and milestones relating to the planning and construction of a gas turbine plant on the Stuttgart-Münster 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.
April 2024: Official commissioning of the large-scale heat pump. On 8 April 2024, the large-scale heat pump at the Stuttgart-Münster waste-to-energy combined heat and power plant was officially commissioned by EnBW CEO Georg Stamatelopoulos, Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and Energy Sector of Baden-Württemberg, Thekla Walker, and the Mayor for Urban Development, Housing and the Environment, Peter Pätzold. This large-scale heat pump with an output of up to 24 MW is one of the most powerful systems in Germany. It will reduce carbon emissions by around 15,000 tonnes per year and can supply about 10,000 households with climate-neutral heat.
April 2024: Delivery and assembly of the gas turbines. In April, the two SGT-800 gas turbines were delivered to the construction site and installed. A gas turbine is a heat engine that converts thermal energy into rotational energy. An electrical generator uses this rotational energy to generate electricity. Exhaust gases leave the gas turbine at a very high temperature and can be reused to generate heat, steam and even more electricity. The two gas turbines have a total electrical output of 124 MWel. You can find more insights here.
February 2024: Start of construction of the black- start battery system. A black-start battery system is being built at the Stuttgart-Münster site. Construction work began in February 2024. The power required to start up the power plant at the site can be covered by the black-start battery system in combination with the gas turbines. The CO₂-neutral black-start battery system is also able to provide primary and secondary control power at short notice and thus help to stabilize the grid.
January 2024: Delivery and installation of the hot water boilers and associated chimneys. The three hot water boilers were delivered and installed in January 2024. Immediately afterwards, the three approx. 60-meter-high chimneys were lifted into place in 3 segments each. You can find more insights here.
December 2023: Commissioning of the large-scale heat pump. Commissioning of the large-scale heat pump began in December 2023. The large-scale heat pump will utilize the waste heat from the cooling water discharged at the site to generate up to 24 MW of district heating. The climate-neutral district heating generated in this manner will cut carbon emissions by around 15,000 tonnes per year. The heat pump will thus not only make an important contribution to the decarbonization of EnBW's district heating generation, but also significantly help the City of Stuttgart to achieve its climate protection goals. You can find more insights here.
November 2023: Lifting of the northern pipe bridge. On 03.11.2023, the northern pipe bridge over Neckartalstraße was lifted into place in cooperation with SSB and the city of Stuttgart using a tandem lift with 2 cranes. The pipe bridge was installed on site before being lifted into place, including the district heating and natural gas pipes for supplying the city of Stuttgart. The natural gas pipelines are already 100% H2-ready.
October 2023: Delivery and assembly of the first waste heat boiler for the gas turbines.The components of the first waste heat boiler were delivered by heavy goods vehicle at the end of September. The individual components that ultimately make up the waste heat boiler are welded together piece by piece and assembled. The waste heat boiler utilises the heat recovered from the gas turbine to generate steam and hot water to drive the steam turbine. When fed into the respective grids, district heating and electricity are generated.
September 2023: Delivery and installation of the large heat pump.The components of the large heat pump were delivered and installed at the beginning of August 2023. Components such as the evaporator, intercooler and condenser were delivered and installed in various partial deliveries. The large heat pump can generate up to 24 MW of green district heating. This can save around 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
August 2023: Steelwork for the gas turbine building. Work on the steel structure for the gas turbine building began in mid-July 2023. The two gas turbines, each with a capacity of 24 MW, will be housed in the gas turbine building along with the waste heat boilers and two chimneys. The gas turbine building will be constructed as a steel skeleton frame using approx. 1,300 metric tons of steel girders and its dimensions will be approx. 65.20 x 45.15 x 34.00/17.80 meters (L x W x H). The main structure of the steel skeleton frame generally consists of a series of steel columns and horizontal beams connected by means of riveting, bolting or welding. This construction method enables rapid progress to be made, with completion already scheduled for mid-May 2024.
July 2023: Construction of the stair tower. In July 2023, construction began on the approx. 32.4-metre-high stair tower, which adjoins the district heating building to the south by means of bridges and the hot water boiler plant to the north.The special feature is that the stair tower was concreted using slipforming. Slipforms are used when jointless structures or short construction times with high daily output are required. The stair tower was erected within 6 days in 24-hour shift operation.
June 2023: Chimney foundations with integrated crane support. In keeping with the motto 2 in 1, the chimney foundations were used as a crane support. The crane was erected using a built-in part that serves as a rear anchor to stabilize the crane. The 60-meter-high crane has a working radius of up to around 60 meters and can thus cover almost the entire construction site. In 2024, the chimney will then be built using the slip form method. This approach guarantees a flexible, efficient and economical construction process.
May 2023: Concrete casting and reinforcement of the gas turbine building. Once the foundation work was completed, the reinforcement work started, along with the concrete casting in stages for the two gas turbine foundations. Approximately 600 m³ of concrete were needed for each of the foundations, which is the equivalent to around 3,000 bathtubs per foundation. It took 130 concrete mixers and two concrete pumps to complete the job. The concrete structural elements are reinforced using steel, increasing the load-bearing capacity of the building being constructed on them. The 124 MW gas turbines are housed in the gas turbine building.
April 2023: Installation of the driven piles. Work on installing the 202 driven piles began in April. Pile foundations are deep foundations where the loads of supporting structures are transferred to deeper soil layers with a higher load-bearing capacity. Soil layers with poor load-bearing capacity are thus bridged using piles. With so-called pile foundations, the piles are driven into the ground with a pile driver until a soil layer sufficiently capable of bearing the load has been reached. Concrete is then poured into them.
March 2023: Groundbreaking ceremony and official opening of the building site. The starting signal was given in Stuttgart-Münster for the construction of the new gas turbine plant and large-scale heat pump. Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and Energy Sector for Baden-Württemberg Thekla Walker, Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper and the EnBW Board Member responsible for sustainable generation infrastructure Dr. Georg Stamatelopoulos performed the traditional groundbreaking ceremony on 31 March 2023.
February 2023: Start of foundation works. Foundation works create a stable and load-bearing basis for the buildings and machinery associated with the new plants. This covers groundwork such as the excavation of pits and the construction of the foundations, including pile foundations.
January 2023: Start of construction works at Stuttgart-Münster. The construction project got under way in Stuttgart-Münster on 9 January 2023 and work has been continuing ever since. The start of construction also sees the introduction of a temporary alternative traffic management concept:
- A contraflow system for traffic traveling out of town at the intersection of Neckartalstraße/Voltastraße
- Normal flow of traffic resumes at the intersection of Neckartal-/Haldenstraße
- City-bound traffic uses the remaining lane with suspension of the cycle lane on Neckartalstraße
This traffic concept means that no major diversion is needed for car traffic. Cyclists are diverted via the Neckartal cycle path. This allows the routes at the Voltastraße intersection to remain open.
January 2023
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Preliminary permit decision received and first partial approval
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October 2022
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Stuttgart Regional Council meeting to discuss the project
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22 March 2022
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Investment decision taken by EnBW’s Supervisory Board
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7 February 2022
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Permit application submitted
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21 July 2021
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Project presented to Bad Cannstatt council committee
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23 April 2021
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Scoping meeting0In complex planning processes, a scoping meeting is held by the authority overseeing the process (in this case Stuttgart Regional Council). With the involvement of public agencies and specialist authorities, the meeting is used to formally determine the subject, scope and methodology of the regional impact and environmental impact studies as well as the content of the application documents that need to be drawn up.
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20 April 2021
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Project presented to Münster council committee
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13 April 2021
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Virtual information event for the public
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12 April 2021
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Information event for professional associations and citizens’ initiatives
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