Electrabel has announced that it has chosen Wilhelmshaven as the site for its first coal fired power plant in Germany. Construction of the 800 MW plant will begin in 2008 and it is scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2012.
Electrabel is to invest EUR1 billion in the new plant and has signed a 40-year coal supply contract with Rhenus Midgard. It has also signed a partnership agreement with the city of Wilhelmshaven that lays out a concrete plan for development of the project
The new plant will use state-of-the-art technology, allowing it to attain an efficiency of 46 per cent, according to Electrabel. It will save emissions of 900 000 t of carbon dioxide per year compared with a conventional coal fired plant of similar size.
Electrabel is also planning to build a second 800 MW coal-fired plant in Germany. This will be commissioned in late 2012 and will be located in either Brunsbüttel or Stade.
