Vattenfall to Build Berlin CHP Plant

---

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--A new gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant for Germany's capital city, Berlin, is heading towards construction following a final investment decision by Sweden's Vattenfall.

The company has announced that it will invest 325 million euro on the new CHP plant in the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. The deal forms part of a wider agreement with the Berlin authorities to phase out the use of coal-fired power from the city. Berlin aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 85% and become climate neutral by 2050. Siemens (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany) has been appointed as general contractor and will supply the turbine from its Berlin facilities.

The gas-fired CHP will supply 260 megawatts (MW) of electrical power and 230 MW of thermal capacity, while having a claimed fuel efficiency of approximately 90%. Construction work on the plant is expected to kick off in April, with commissioning slated for the summer of 2020.

"This decision is a clear commitment to Berlin," said Tuomo Hatakka, representative of Vattenfall in Germany. "With the construction of this CHP, we will fulfil one further topic of the climate protection agreement with the Berlin senate that we signed in October 2009. We are well on track with halving our emissions compared to 1990."

Gunther Müller, spokesperson of the management board of Vattenfall Wärme AG, added: "The new CHP in Marzahn is an important element of this. It will ensure a climate-efficient and reliable district heating supply for the coming decades and will be the base-load power plant for the district heating areas in the Eastern part of the city ".

Vattenfall is also phasing out the use of coal at another Berlin coal-fired plant in Klingenberg. It has committed to spending 105 million euro in converting the plant to natural gas. Klingenberg currently supplies 188 MW electricity and 590 MW heat, enough to power and heat, and that capacity will remain the same after conversion. The plant, which heats 300,000 homes, will emit 600,000 tons less CO2 after the conversion, which will be completed in May this year, three years ahead of the originally planned date, in order to boost Berlin's emissions-reduction efforts.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.