In view of galloping energy prices and an impending gas shortage, calls for the decommissioned Moorburg coal-fired power plant to be restarted are becoming louder. But Vattenfall declines.
The energy company Vattenfall has countered calls for the decommissioned coal-fired power plant in Moorburg to be restarted. “According to the applicable regulations, it can no longer be operated as a coal-fired power plant and it would not be technically and economically feasible,” said a spokeswoman for the German Press Agency on Monday. Vattenfall is continuing to prepare for the dismantling of the power plant in the port of Hamburg and expects to commission the dismantling services this year.
In view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the associated gas shortage, the Hamburg housing industry recently asked the Senate to consider restarting the power plant. “In view of the dramatic situation as a result of the looming shortage of natural gas, it is essential to think about putting one of the most modern coal-fired power plants in Germany back into operation immediately,” said a statement by the Association of North German Housing Companies (VNW), the landowners’ association Hamburg , the BFW Landesverband Nord and the Immobilienverband Deutschland.
The Vattenfall spokeswoman said the 90 or so employees at the power plant had already begun to drain the systems. “Technically, the system is brought into a condition that is safe for people and the environment.” This means that all fire hazards and all raw, auxiliary and operating materials are removed. In addition, spare and spare parts for the power plant as well as large components from turbines, generators, transformers and measuring devices have already been sold. Vattenfall is prepared to transfer the site for a hydrogen electrolyser and a temporary LNG terminal.
The always controversial Moorburg power plant was finally shut down last year, almost six and a half years after it was commissioned in 2015. It was one of the most modern and efficient coal-fired power plants in Germany and was supposed to stay connected to the grid until 2038. As one of the largest power plants in Europe, it was technically able to generate eleven terawatt hours of electricity per year with its two blocks, each with an output of 827 megawatts. That is eleven billion kilowatt hours and almost corresponds to the power consumption of Hamburg.
For Vattenfall, however, the system was a fiasco from the start, because instead of spending a maximum of around 1.7 billion euros on it as planned, the project developed into an ongoing political and legal dispute. Stricter environmental requirements, subsequent construction regulations and material problems with deliveries ultimately made the project more expensive by around three billion euros.
