Evonik and Siemens are continuing their successful partnership in new power plant construction with the launch of another major new project: in June, Evonik and its partner Siemens signed agreements on the construction of another, highly efficient combined cycle gas and steam turbine plant at the Marl Chemical Park.

 

The new power plant will replace an existing reserve gas-fired power plant on site, and, in so doing, complements another, likewise new power plant that Evonik has recently begun building in Marl. Evonik is thus clearing the way for ending coal-fired generation of electricity and gas throughout the company.

 

Construction work is to begin before the end of summer 2020 so that this plant can also go on stream in 2022. At a total capacity utilization rate of over 90 percent, the two new plants will generate up to 270 megawatts of electricity (enough to power roughly 750,000 households) and up to 660 metric tons of steam per hour. All of the power plants at the Marl Chemical Park will be operated from a central control room as an integrated network in future.

 

“We intend to cut our absolute greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2025—that’s Evonik’s key climate goal. The new construction project in this agreement is another important step in that direction,” says Thomas Wessel, the member of the Evonik Executive Board responsible for sustainability issues.

 

The new power plant structure has been designed to optimize steam supply for the site. In the event that the public grid were to go down or experience disruptions, the plants can also operate in island mode for the Marl Chemical Park—in other words, they can continue providing electricity or steam to plants that are particularly sensitive to supply interruptions. The power plants’ highly flexible load management can also play a role in balancing input variability from renewable energy sources—an absolute must for Germany’s energy transition. “Evonik produces sustainable and efficiency-increasing products. That is how we make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. Overhauling and retrofitting our energy infrastructure represents another way in which we are helping lower the amount of CO2 emissions,” says Rainer Fretzen, chair of the management board of Evonik Technology & Infrastructure. The site’s integrated steam network will continue to provide district heating to some 2,000 Marl homes.

 

“We are pleased to have won this contract. This plant is another milestone on the road to energy transition supported by our state-of-the-art power plant technologies. Siemens Energy supports the emission goals of our long-term partner Evonik, and this project will build upon our trusted collaboration,” says Jochen Eickholt, Member of the Executive Board of Siemens Energy. Siemens Energy serves as a general service provider for the project and is responsible-with its internal partner Siemens Financial Services-for the realization of the facilities.