Bergkamen power station
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| This article is part of the Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
Bergkamen power station (Bergkamen-Heil Kraftwerk) is an operating power station of at least 20-megawatts (MW) in Bergkamen, Unna, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Bergkamen-Heil Kraftwerk.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Bergkamen power station | Bergkamen, Unna, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | 51.636678, 7.620603 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Biomass, CC1, Unit A: 51.636678, 7.620603
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Equipment | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomass | Operating[2] | bioenergy: wood & other biomass (solids)[2] | 20[2] | – | yes[3] | 2005[2] | – | – | no |
| CC1, timepoint 1 | Pre-construction[4][5][6] | fossil gas: natural gas[4] | 880[7][8] | combined cycle[4] | – | 2030 (planned)[5][9] | – | not found | no |
| Unit A | Mothballed[10] | coal: bituminous[11] | 780 | subcritical | yes | 1981 | 2028 (planned)[12][13] | – | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Biomass | STEAG GmbH [100%][14] | Asterion Industrial Partners SGEIC SA [100.0%] |
| CC1, timepoint 1 | STEAG GmbH [100%][14] | Asterion Industrial Partners SGEIC SA [100.0%] |
| Unit A | STEAG GmbH [100%][14] | Asterion Industrial Partners SGEIC SA [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The 780 MW plant was commissioned in 1981. It was jointly owned by RWE and STEAG.[15][16] In 2018, German utility STEAD announced it was acquiring RWE’s stake in the plant.[17]
In May 2021, STEAG announced that the power plant would be shut down.[18]
A 2021 auction finalized terms to close over 2,100 MW of coal power, including the Bergkamen A plant by October 2022.[19][20]
As of July 2022, due to energy security concerns in light of the war in Ukraine, the plant may stay online or in reserve until 2024.[21] In March 2022, STEAG had still planned to decommission the plant later that year.[22]
In February 2024, the power station was approved as "systemically relevant" through March 31, 2026.[23]
In April 2024, the power station was mothballed.[24]
In July 2025, the power station was once again approved as "system-relevant", requiring it to remain available from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028, with the possibility of further extension.[25]
Coal shortages
In September 2021, STEAG filings revealed the plant had ceased generation four times for up to six days at a time due to external factors. The temporary shutdowns came at a time when a limited supply of gas led German power utilities to increase coal generation leading to coal shortages. “We are short of hard coal ... There is a strong demand for coal per se and secondly, there is a strong demand for transport by barge. And since Bergkamen has no rail connection, there are no logistical alternatives available here,” said Daniel Muhlenfeld, a STEAG spokesman.[26]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/4670340.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Marktstammdatenregister (Market master data register)". Germany Federal Network Agency. 2025-01. Archived from the original on 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/ElektrizitaetundGas/Versorgungssicherheit/Erzeugungskapazitaeten/Kraftwerksliste/start.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/german-utilities-bid-new-power-station-capacity-2024-06-06/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 (PDF) https://www.duh.de/fileadmin/user_upload/download/Projektinformation/Energiewende/Fraunhofer_ISI_DUH_H2Readiness.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iqony-solutions_as-team-iqony-we-are-planning-the-construction-activity-7221474236257763328-zefp.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.iqony.energy/standortentwicklung/standort-bergkamen/h2-ready-gaskraftwerk-bergkamen.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.wa.de/lokales/bergkamen/energiewende-am-kraftwerk-heil-gas-block-mit-wasserstoff-option-geplant-93107846.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://hydrogen-central.com/germany-iqony-eyes-plans-for-three-hydrogen-ready-gas-plants/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.steag.com/fileadmin/user_upload/STEAG_GmbH/Media_Center/Presse/Pressemeldungen/2024/20240328_STEAG_fordert_faire_Verguetung_fuer_Reservekraftwerke.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/ElektrizitaetundGas/Versorgungssicherheit/Erzeugungskapazitaeten/Systemrelevante_KW/_DL/AmprionGmbH28072025.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Bundesnetzagentur (2024-02-28). "Genehmigungsbescheid der Bundesnetzagentur" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-04-02.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 https://www.steag-iqony-group.com/en/medien/presse/new-training-prospects-for-bergkamen-power-plant-site.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Coal-Fired Plants in Germany," Industcards, accessed April 2016
- ↑ "Jointly Operated Power Plant Bergkamen," STEAG, 2012
- ↑ "Steag to acquire RWE stake in Bergkamen power plant," Reuters, November 20, 2018
- ↑ "Kraftwerk in Bergkamen soll vorläufig stillgelegt werden," Wa.De, May 4, 2021
- ↑ "German auction agrees terms to close over 2,100 MW of coal power," Reuters, July 13, 2021
- ↑ "Ausschreibung nach dem KVBG / Gebotstermin 30. April 2021," Bundesnetzagentur, July 14, 2021
- ↑ "Coal-fired power plants to be reconnected to the grid in the near future," Energate Messenger, July 11, 2022
- ↑ "STEAG ensures secure energy," STEAG, March 2, 2022
- ↑ "Genehmigungsbescheid der Bundesnetzagentur gemäß § 26 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 KVBG i.V.m. § 13b Abs. 5 EnWG zur Systemrelevanzausweisung des Kraftwerksblocks Bergkamen A," Bundesnetzagentur, February 28, 2024
- ↑ "STEAG fordert faire Vergütung für Reservekraftwerke," STEAG, March 28, 2024
- ↑ "Genehmigungsbescheid der Bundesnetzagentur zur Systemrelevanzausweisung des Kraftwerksblocks Bergkamen A" (PDF). bundesnetzagentur.de. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "A German Power Plant Just Ran Out of Coal in Latest Energy Shock," Bloomberg, October 1, 2021
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Bioenergy Power Tracker, the Global Coal Plant Tracker, and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
