Bavaria's last hard coal-fired power plant goes into reserve

20.02.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Bavaria's last large hard coal-fired power plant will be retired this week as part of the coal phase-out. The power plant is located in Zolling (Freising district) and belongs to the operator Onyx Power.

On February 21, Bavaria's last large hard coal-fired power plant will end regular operations as planned. This was announced by the operator Onyx Power. The decommissioning is being carried out as part of the coal phase-out and in coordination with the Federal Network Agency. The power plant will therefore remain in the grid reserve until March 31, 2031 in agreement with the responsible transmission system operator Tennet.

It will be able to step in in the event of any supply bottlenecks at times when there is too little sun and wind (dark doldrums). This is why the 140 employees will remain at the site even after regular operations cease. Last but not least, the Zolling energy park also includes other plants that will continue to operate as normal, including a biomass cogeneration plant. The Federal Network Agency had approved the power plant operator's application to shut down the plant as part of the Coal Phase-out Act of 2020 in return for compensation.

Future with heat from biomass and hydrogen

Zolling recently burned around half a million tons of hard coal annually and provided 470 MW of electricity for the market and 150 MW for the local district heating supply. Peter Feldhaus, CEO of Onyx Power, commented: "By ending coal-fired power generation at the Zolling site, we are continuing Onyx Power's phase-out of fossil fuel energy generation." This is in line with the corporate strategy, which envisages phasing out coal for all sites by 2030 at the latest. Instead, innovative generation solutions are to be developed at the existing sites as part of the energy transition, he announced.

Zolling power plant manager Lothar Schreiber explains: "We started developing the Zolling power plant site into a modern energy park several years ago." This includes the operation of a climate-neutral biomass cogeneration plant. In addition, a hydrogen-capable thermal power plant is now being built on the site. "This will not only enable us to provide a secure heat supply in the region, but also to maintain employment in the long term," said Schreiber.
Onyx Power owns another coal-fired power plant in Farge (Bremen) in Germany, which was shut down in March 2024 and is now being secured. Hydrogen production from wind power is being considered at the site. There is another coal-fired power plant in Wilhelmshaven, and Onyx Power also operates one in Rotterdam (Netherlands).

Author: Susanne Harmsen