Evonik plans to install a new high-efficiency gas and steam turbine power plant at its Marl Germany Chemical Park, according to a company press release. This decision ends the company’s hard-coal based power and steam generation in Marl, after more than 80 years. The company says this new plant will reduce its CO2 emissions by up to one million metric tons annually.
“The modernization of our power plant park is a key element in achieving Evonik’s sustainability targets,” says Thomas Wessel, Chief Human Resources Officer and Industrial Relations Director of Evonik, in the press release. “The main climate target of Evonik is to halve our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 relative to base year 2008.”
Evonik and its partner Siemens signed agreements for the construction of the two-block power plant on August 30th. Construction is slated to start before the end of this year. The high-efficiency plant produces power and steam in a cogeneration process and is expected to come on stream in 2022. The company states that the plant’s total system efficiency will exceed 90 percent.
The project cost is in the three-digit million-euro range. Siemens Gas and Power is the main contractor and, jointly with its internal partner Siemens Financial Services, is responsible for the planning and construction of the entire power plant, including a new central control station building. Evonik will operate the plant in conjunction with the existing natural gas power plants.
Willibald Meixner, CEO of Siemens Gas & Power, Power Generation Operations, said in the press release: “Siemens is actively helping to shape the energy transition in Germany. Decentralized industrial power plants that are equipped to meet the requirements of digitalization are an important component of our portfolio for the reduction of CO2 emissions. This is well illustrated by the Evonik order, which gives us immense satisfaction.”
