After a construction period of five years and a regular operation of six months, the new gas and steam turbine power plant was officially inaugurated on Friday. Overall, the construction cost 450 million euros.
“For the economic center of CTCC Mittelsburen, the investment of 450 to 500 million is a sustainable strengthening. We need such investments in the future, “said Mayor Carsten Sieling (SPD) at the ceremony on the Stahlwerke site at Mitelsbüren.
The construction of the power station was an act of force
Nevertheless, the construction was a huge force for main shareholder swb (51.76 percent) and its four partners. Especially since there were always problems in the construction phase, which led to a three-year delay.
Since 1 December 2016, the plant has now been in regular operation. “It worked. Sometimes with some trouble, but it has worked, “said swb board member Dr. Torsten Köhne and was very satisfied with the course of the first six months: “In the first quarter of 2017, we were able to produce and sell the originally planned volume for the entire year.”
This was due above all to the demand for railway power and the increased demand for electricity from the cold winter in France and the problems with the nuclear power plants there. At the same time, there were longer periods with so-called “dunkelflaute” when no energy can be produced from wind power or solar systems. This is exactly what the GKB power plant is designed for and can produce very flexibly energy and thus compensate for the lack of regenerative energy in the electricity grid.
Gas power plants required for energy generation
“It is undisputed that gas-fired power plants such as the GKB are necessary for a successful energy turnaround, unfortunately the political framework conditions are still lacking so that such an installation can be sustained economically,” regrets Köhne.
Of the numerous guests, there was much praise for the “absolutely imposing plant”, as Bürgerschaftspräsident Christian Weber (SPD) formulated. All in all, the new power plant can produce 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – which corresponds to the annual consumption of all households in a major city.
By: Martin Bollmann
