Stadtwerke München Lets Off Some Steam
With the commissioning of a new gas and steam turbine and a large-scale thermal storage system, Stadtwerke München is driving forward the transformation of the Süd cogeneration plant
June 16, 2026
Source: E & M powernews
Work is currently progressing at SWM’s South Combined Heat and Power Plant: Following the connection of a heat storage system, a new gas and steam turbine is now being tested.
According to its own statements, Stadtwerke München is currently commissioning the new Gas and Steam Turbine Unit 1 (GuD1) at the South Combined Heat and Power Plant. After all essential components had been installed, the “first fire”—that is, the first ignition of the plant—took place a few days ago.
Before the plant can enter regular operation, the kilometers of piping must be cleaned—using a process called “steam blowing.” This cleaning is performed with pure water. The steam lines, however, must also undergo a special procedure to remove even the last, more stubborn deposits left over from the welding of the steel pipes. To do this, steam is blown through the pipes multiple times at speeds exceeding 150 meters per second.
Once the steam has passed through the pipes, it is vented outdoors via a large silencer. This silencer also captures the “blown-out” deposits. The flushing of the pipelines is expected to last until mid-August. During this time, conspicuous clouds of steam will rise above the HKW Süd power plant about twice a day, each time for up to two hours.
The new combined-cycle gas turbine plant is part of a decarbonization program for HKW Süd. The site, which has previously burned coal and waste, is set to gradually transition from fossil natural gas to climate-neutral geothermal energy, as well as biomethane and hydrogen. Since 2021, Germany’s largest geothermal plant has been supplying heat to the equivalent of 80,000 households.
SWM announced that commissioning should be “largely complete” by the end of the year and that “GuD1-Süd” will feed electricity and district heating into Munich’s grid. Just a few days ago, they announced that a heat storage facility with a gross capacity of 57,000 cubic meters of district heating water had been connected to the district heating network at the same “energy site.”
Author: Georg Eble