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Released August 23, 2012 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) has commissioned a new 2,200-megawatt (MW) coal-fired plant near Cologne in Germany.
The twin unit plant, known as BoA 2&3, at Kraftwerk Neurath will burn lignite and be capable of generating enough electricity for approximately 3.4 million homes. The plant arrives at a time when Germany needs more gas and coal-fired power plants following its surprise decision last year to exit the nuclear power sector, as a direct result of the tragic Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan. For additional information, see May 30, 2011, article - Germany Votes to Dump Nuclear Power.
With a claimed 43% efficiency rating, RWE maintains that the new plant is the world's most advanced lignite-fired power station. It cost 2.6 billion ($3.24 billion) to build.
"RWE is doing exactly what the transformation of the German energy industry is all about," said RWE CEO, Peter Terium at the commissioning ceremony. "We are investing heavily in renewables and in the distribution systems. We are doing much to improve energy efficiency and develop new concepts for grid integration of renewables. And we are modernising our conventional power plant portfolio. BoA 2&3 is an important element of our strategy, for modern coal and gas-fired power stations are indispensable. Unlike wind and solar sources, they are highly flexible and capable of producing electricity 24/7, which makes them the trump card of energy industry transformation."
Premier of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hannelore Kraft, commented: "The energy industry transformation decided upon last year is a huge challenge for all areas of society. To make it a success, everyone needs to pull together: the Federal Government, the states and the municipalities, but also the energy utilities and companies. The aim is to generate all electricity from renewable sources. On the path to achieving this, we also need power plants fired by fossil fuels. This includes highly efficient lignite-fired power plants. But lignite firing must become more environmentally friendly. Therefore, commissioning the BoA 2&3 power plant is the right step at the right time as damaging emissions will be avoided and at the same time an important contribution to security of supply will be made."
Following the government's decision to shut all of its 17 nuclear reactors by 2022, it became clear that more fossil-fuel powered plants would be needed to fill the looming energy gap. Last June, the government estimated that the country needed up to 20,000 MW of additional fossil-fuel powered plants built by 2020 - that's double its previous estimate of 10,000 MW. At the time, Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted: "If we want to exit nuclear energy and enter renewable energy, for the transition time we need fossil power stations". For additional information, see June 16, 2011, article - Germany Needs 20 Gigawatts of Fossil-Fuel Power Plants.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
The twin unit plant, known as BoA 2&3, at Kraftwerk Neurath will burn lignite and be capable of generating enough electricity for approximately 3.4 million homes. The plant arrives at a time when Germany needs more gas and coal-fired power plants following its surprise decision last year to exit the nuclear power sector, as a direct result of the tragic Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan. For additional information, see May 30, 2011, article - Germany Votes to Dump Nuclear Power.
With a claimed 43% efficiency rating, RWE maintains that the new plant is the world's most advanced lignite-fired power station. It cost 2.6 billion ($3.24 billion) to build.
"RWE is doing exactly what the transformation of the German energy industry is all about," said RWE CEO, Peter Terium at the commissioning ceremony. "We are investing heavily in renewables and in the distribution systems. We are doing much to improve energy efficiency and develop new concepts for grid integration of renewables. And we are modernising our conventional power plant portfolio. BoA 2&3 is an important element of our strategy, for modern coal and gas-fired power stations are indispensable. Unlike wind and solar sources, they are highly flexible and capable of producing electricity 24/7, which makes them the trump card of energy industry transformation."
Premier of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hannelore Kraft, commented: "The energy industry transformation decided upon last year is a huge challenge for all areas of society. To make it a success, everyone needs to pull together: the Federal Government, the states and the municipalities, but also the energy utilities and companies. The aim is to generate all electricity from renewable sources. On the path to achieving this, we also need power plants fired by fossil fuels. This includes highly efficient lignite-fired power plants. But lignite firing must become more environmentally friendly. Therefore, commissioning the BoA 2&3 power plant is the right step at the right time as damaging emissions will be avoided and at the same time an important contribution to security of supply will be made."
Following the government's decision to shut all of its 17 nuclear reactors by 2022, it became clear that more fossil-fuel powered plants would be needed to fill the looming energy gap. Last June, the government estimated that the country needed up to 20,000 MW of additional fossil-fuel powered plants built by 2020 - that's double its previous estimate of 10,000 MW. At the time, Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted: "If we want to exit nuclear energy and enter renewable energy, for the transition time we need fossil power stations". For additional information, see June 16, 2011, article - Germany Needs 20 Gigawatts of Fossil-Fuel Power Plants.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
