Heilbronn power plant

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Heilbronn power plant as seen from the Wartberg

The Heilbronn power plant is a thermal power plant in Heilbronn .

It is operated by Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) and consisted of a total of seven power plant blocks. Units 3 and 4 with a capacity of approx. 200 MW were taken to cold reserve in 1997 . The electrical output of the still operational block 7 is 778  MW . On March 31, 2023, units 5 and 6 with a total of 250 MW will be transferred to the network reserve of the Federal Network Agency, so that unit 7 with an output of 778  MW will remain in commercial operation by EnBW .

The facility is located in the Heilbronn industrial area at the northern end of the Canal Harbor. The required cooling water is taken from the Neckar , while at the same time up to 8,000 tons of hard coal are delivered by barge over the Neckar or by rail over the port railway .

A separate busbar power station from the 1920s, which was shut down in the 1950s, has been used as an event center (Block E) since 1998.

The CO 2 emissions of the power station was, according to the WWF in 2006, 4.4 million tons / year, or 950 g / kWh. The Heilbronn power plant is one of the 30 coal-fired power plants with the largest absolute CO 2 emissions in Germany.

There are plans to convert the power plant into a gas-fired power plant as part of the coal phase-out, which is to be operated with natural gas from the South German natural gas pipeline (SEL) to be built from 2021 .

Power plant units

Blocks 1-6

Heilbronn power plant seen from the banks of the Neckar

Units 1 to 4 with a capacity of 2 × 55 MW and 2 × 100 MW were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Units 1 and 2 were shut down in 1988, units 3 and 4 followed in 2006. Units 5 and 6, built between 1964 and 1966, each have an output of 125 MW.

Until 1986, the existing power plant had three chimneys with a mouth height of 140 meters each (one chimney each for units 4, 5 and 6) and two chimneys with an mouth height of 70 meters (one chimney each for unit 3 and a common chimney for units 1 and 2 ). Originally there were three chimneys with a mouth height of 70 meters, one was later replaced by a chimney with a mouth height of 140 m. The last remaining chimney in Units 1 and 2 was demolished in early 2009.

Due to the amendment of the ordinance on large combustion, gas turbine and combustion engine systems in 1983, flue gas desulphurisation and nitrogen reduction technology were retrofitted for units 3 to 6 .

At the end of February 2014, EnBW announced that it would apply to the Federal Network Agency for the final shutdown of units 5 and 6 at the earliest possible date due to the lack of profitability . Since April 10, 2015, the blocks are no longer in commercial operation. EnBW wanted to take blocks 5 and 6 out of operation on March 31, 2020, the Federal Network Agency prohibited this and classified the blocks as systemically relevant by March 31, 2023. Only then can the blocks finally go offline.

Block 7

Memorial plaque for the construction of Block 7

From 1982 to 1986, Unit 7 was built as a medium-load power plant with a capacity of 778 MW. Block 7 had flue gas desulphurisation and flue gas denitrification from the start . Industrial companies in Heilbronn and Neckarsulm are supplied with district heating via a combined heat and power system.

A new, 140 m high cooling tower and a 250 m high chimney were built for Block 7 . In addition, a second chimney was built in 1986 for the 4 blocks of the same type and height as for block 7. The two chimneys are widely recognizable as landmarks . Together with the two chimneys of the Altbach / Deizisau power plant , they are the tallest free-standing structures in Baden-Württemberg .

Since 1998, Block 7 has had a permit for the co-incineration of up to 80,000 tons of sewage sludge per year in accordance with the ordinance on the incineration and co-incineration of waste. Since 2003, petroleum coke has also been allowed to be burned. In 2013, 3,085 tons of thermally dried sewage sludge and 12,501 tons of mechanically dewatered sewage sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants were also incinerated (data in dry matter without water content).

Interior shot of the cooling tower

In the plate of the 140 meter high natural draft cooling tower of Block 7, the water is 180 centimeters high. This cooling tower plate has a circumference of 330 meters and a diameter of 104.7 meters. The sludge dissolved in the Neckar water is deposited on the water-impermeable plate made of concrete. The stairs on the outside of the cooling tower have 67 steps and lead to a height of 15 meters. The mouth diameter of the cooling tower is 78 meters. Approximately 16 cubic meters of water per second that comes from the nozzles into the cooling tower falls down in droplets through the trickle plates. In contrast, air flows and cools the water. 250 liters of water are taken from the Neckar every second, 650 liters would be approved. The slats that spray the water are at a height of 15 meters. This means that 0.33 cubic meters of water evaporate per second.

Battery storage power plant

At the beginning of 2018, a battery storage power plant consisting of 768 lithium-ion battery modules went into operation on the power plant site . The system supplied by Bosch Energy Storage Solutions has an output of 5 MW and a capacity of 5 MWh and is intended to provide primary control power . The storage system can react within seconds and, with its output, provide around a fifth of the primary control power of a conventional power plant. It was inaugurated in April 2018 in the presence of Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann .


Heilbronn power plant Pano1.jpg

Mains connection

The heating oil tanks of the power plant

Blocks 5 and 6 are connected to the grid via the Heilbronn switchgear at the 110 kV high-voltage level in the power grid of the distribution network operator Netze BW . Block 7 is connected to the grid via the Großgartach switchgear at the 380 kV maximum voltage level in the power grid of the transmission system operator Transnet BW .

Expansion planning

In September 2006 EnBW announced that it wanted to expand its conventional power plant portfolio. The locations in Karlsruhe and Heilbronn were discussed. EnBW decided to expand the Karlsruhe power plant ; The reason given was the difficulty in supplying the Heilbronn plant with power plant gas.

Compliance with limit values

In March 2014, the operator EnBW published the annual emissions report for 2013. It lists the results of the continuous and individually performed measurements and compares them with the applicable limit values.

Limit values ​​and continuously measured emission concentrations in 2013
Pollutant unit Daily
mean limit value		 lowest
daily mean 		highest
daily average 		Annual mean (mean
daily mean)
dust mg / m 3 10 1.3 7.3 2.5
Sulfur dioxide mg / m 3 190 30th 160 118
Nitrogen oxides mg / m 3 200 142 179 164
Carbon monoxide mg / m 3 100 0.2 15th 3
Hydrogen chloride mg / m 3 20th <0.1 8.3 0.8
mercury mg / m 3 0.02 0.0006 0.01 0.005
Limit values ​​and individually measured emission concentrations in 2013
Pollutant unit Emission limit value mean measured value highest reading
Hydrogen fluoride mg / m 3 10 2.6 3.5
ammonia mg / m 3 5 <0.1 0.2
Total-C mg / m 3 3 0.2 0.3
Total Cd + Tl mg / m 3 0.010 <0.0005 <0.0005
Sum As , B (a) P , Cd , Co , Cr mg / m 3 0.05 0.003 0.004
Sum of Sb , As , Pb , Cr , Co , Cu , Mn , Ni , V , Sn mg / m 3 0.08 0.01 0.01
Dioxins and furans ng / m 3 0.02 0.003 0.007

Emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases

Critics complain about the high emissions of nitrogen oxides , sulfur oxides , mercury and fine dust at the Heilbronn power plant , to which cancer- causing substances ( lead , cadmium , nickel , PAHs , dioxins and furans ) can adhere. A study commissioned by Greenpeace at the University of Stuttgart in 2013 came to the conclusion that the fine dusts emitted by the Heilbronn power plant in 2010 and the secondary fine dusts formed from sulfur dioxide , nitrogen oxide and NMVOC emissions statistically lead to 559 years of life lost (rank 11 of German coal-fired power plants, 559 "Years of Life Lost"), which corresponds to 52 premature deaths per year.

In addition, in view of climate change, the CO 2 emissions of the power plant are criticized by environmental groups.

The Heilbronn power plant reported the following emissions in the European " PRTR " pollutant register :

Annual emissions from the Heilbronn power plant
Air pollutant 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) 4,350,000,000 kg 3,280,000,000 kg 2,630,000,000 kg 3,240,000,000 kg 2,910,000,000 kg 3,360,000,000 kg
Nitrogen oxides ( NO x / NO 2 ) 2,500,000 kg 1,880,000 kg 2,610,000 kg 2,160,000 kg 1,870,000 kg 2,140,000 kg
Sulfur dioxide (as SO x / SO 2 ) 1,630,000 kg 1,280,000 kg 1,130,000 kg 1,660,000 kg 1,360,000 kg 1,500,000 kg
Nitrous oxide ( N 2 O ) 49,300 kg 37,200 kg 29,700 kg 36,800 kg 32,900 kg 38,000 kg
Inorganic Chlorine Compounds (as HCl ) 48,300 kg 36,200 kg 32,700 kg 55,600 kg not specified not specified
Inorganic fluorine compounds (as HF ) 24,100 kg 18,100 kg 37,500 kg 35,000 kg 66,600 kg 24,500 kg
Mercury and compounds (as Hg ) 65 kg 42 kg 26 kg 34 kg 14 kg 30 kg

No other typical pollutant emissions were reported, as they are only required to be reported in the PRTR from an annual minimum amount, e.g. B. Dioxins and furans from 0.0001 kg, cadmium from 10 kg, nickel from 50 kg, chromium and copper from 100 kg, lead and zinc from 200 kg, ammonia and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) from 10,000 kg, fine dust (PM10 ) from 50,000 kg, volatile organic compounds except methane (NMVOC) from 100,000 kg and carbon monoxide from 500,000 kg.

The European Environment Agency has estimated the cost of damage to the environment and health of the 28,000 largest industrial plants in Europe on the basis of the emission data reported in the PRTR using the scientific methods of the European Commission. According to this, the Heilbronn power plant ranks 169th in the damage costs of all European industrial plants.

Environmental and health damage
cause Damage costs unit proportion of
Heilbronn power plant 119-173 Million Euros 0.1-0.2%
A total of 28,000 systems 102-169 billion euro 100%

Web links

Commons : Kraftwerk Heilbronn  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c power plant list of the Federal Network Agency , as of March 7, 2019
  2. ↑ EnBW wants to shut down further power plants Stuttgarter Nachrichten , March 1, 2014
  3. ↑ EnBW applies for the decommissioning of two hard coal units at the Heilbronn location, press release, EnBW , April 10, 2014
  4. ↑ WWF infographic on the CO2 emissions of the 30 most climate-damaging coal-fired power plants in Germany
  5. ↑ Heiko Fritze: New management for more needs . In: Heilbronner Voice , April 17, 2020
  6. ^ The Heilbronn thermal power station and its decentralized locations in Walheim and Marbach. (PDF, 385kB) EnBW Kraftwerke AG, October 2010, accessed on December 12, 2013 .
  7. ↑ EnBW plans to decommission two hard coal units at the Heilbronn location, press release, EnBW , February 28, 2014
  8. ↑ Focus online, February 28, 2014 - EnBW wants to downsize coal-fired power plant in Heilbronn
  9. ↑ Power plants remain systemically relevant Heilbronner Voice, May 18, 2020
  10. ↑ Heilbronn thermal power station - top position in the co-incineration of sewage sludge (PDF 278 kB) [EnBW], Stuttgart, 2006
  11. ↑ a b c Heilbronn thermal power station, Block 7, information for the public on the 2013 operating year (PDF 55 kB) EnBW Kraftwerke AG, Stuttgart, March 27, 2014
  12. ↑ Joachim Friedl: In the hazelnut-brown water the mud wobbles mushy . In: Heilbronn voice . October 20, 2008, p. 5 ( from Stimme.de [accessed on June 20, 2013]).
  13. ↑ EnBW and Bosch inaugurate battery storage . In: Euwid Neue Energie , April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  14. ↑ a b Federal Network Agency power plant list (nationwide; all network and transformer levels) as of July 2nd, 2012. ( Microsoft Excel file, 1.6 MiB) Archived from the original on July 22, 2012 ; Retrieved July 21, 2012 .
  15. ↑ No Block 8 in Heilbronn ( Memento of the original from April 23, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.heilbronn.ihk.de
  16. ↑ Fine dust sources and damage caused , Federal Environment Agency (Dessau)
  17. ↑ Assessment of Health Impacts of Coal Fired Power Stations in Germany - by Applying EcoSenseWeb (English, PDF 1.2 MB) Philipp Preis / Joachim Roos / Prof. Rainer Friedrich, Institute for Energy Economics and Rational Use of Energy, University of Stuttgart , March 28, 2013
  18. ↑ Death from the chimney - How coal-fired power plants ruin our health (PDF 1.78 MB) Greenpeace , Hamburg, 2013
  19. ↑ Coal electricity has no future - climate protection now! Internet information on electricity generation from coal-fired power plants, Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany , accessed on April 21, 2014
  20. ↑ Energy Policy - Time is of the essence Internet information on the energy transition in Germany, WWF , accessed on April 21, 2014
  21. ↑ PRTR - European Emissions Register
  22. ↑ PRTR regulation 166/2006 / EC on the creation of a European pollutant release and transfer register and on the amendment of the Council Directives 91/689 / EEC and 96/61 / EC
  23. ↑ Cost-benefit analysis of air quality policy , Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) program, European Commission
  24. ↑ a b Revealing the costs of air pollution from industrial facilities in Europe , European Environment Agency , Copenhagen, 2011

Coordinates: 49 ° 10 ′ 38.4 "  N , 9 ° 12 ′ 22.7"  E