We are firmly committed to phasing out fossil fuel and have made decarbonization a core element of our corporate strategy. Our fuel switch projects are bridging the gap between coal and natural gas and eventually hydrogen. At the same time, we are investing massively in an energy supply that is fit for the future.
We have commissioned one of Germany’s first H₂-ready gas power plants in Stuttgart-Münster. The former coal boiler and heating oil-driven turbines have been replaced by a highly efficient gas turbine system with a total output of 124 megawatts.
Phasing out fossil fuel is one of the most important goals of the energy transition. EnBW actively supports the Paris Agreement and the resulting decarbonization targets set by the EU (2050) and Germany (2045). We are stepping up our own transformation activities and cutting our power plants’ carbon emissions by switching from coal to natural gas in the first instance. Depending on the fuel used and the efficiency of the plant, natural gas produces up to 60% fewer emissions than lignite or hard coal0Source: IPCC, as of: 1.5.2026.
Renewable energies alone are not yet able to meet the demand for electricity at all times. Gas power plants therefore serve as a transition technology, compensating for weather-related fluctuations in wind and solar power generation and maintaining security of supply. The advantage of these plants is that they can be controlled in a highly flexible manner and are designed in a way that makes it possible to switch to hydrogen at a later date – as soon as hydrogen is available in sufficient quantities and the necessary conversion work has been completed.
The term “fuel switch” refers to the process of replacing fossil fuel. For us, this means that we are modernizing our power plants and initially switching from coal to natural gas to generate electricity and heating. In the long term, we are aiming to switch to hydrogen in a second stage. That is why we are already building new gas power plants in a way that enables hydrogen to be used and blended at a later date.
In Stuttgart-Gaisburg, we replaced a coal-fired combined heat and power plant with a modern gas heating plant back in 2019. We are getting further fuel switch projects off the ground at our three EnBW sites in Altbach/Deizisau, Heilbronn and Stuttgart-Münster. We will also modernize these locations and continue to develop them on the basis of the underlying conditions.
We operate conventional power plants across seven different sites and have a stake in other plants. Our power plants not only boast good availability and profitability, but also very high degrees of efficiency – for example, by producing combined heat and power
We are investing millions of euros in optimizing the technology. Not all of our power plants actively supply the market. The older block at Altbach/Deizisau combined heat and power plant, for example, has been moved into the grid reserve, which means that it will only go online at the request of the transmission system operator in order to ensure grid stability.
An overview of our power plants and sites in which we have a stake
Altbach/Deizisau combined heat and power plant first went online in 1899. Three gas turbine plants and two hard coal-fired blocks at the site produce electricity and district heating in combined heat and power mode. Combined heat and power plant 1 has been part of the grid reserve since 2017 and ensures grid stability. Combined heat and power plant 2 has been in operation since 1997. A new gas and steam turbine plant for flexibly dispatchable capacity is currently being built at the site, which will initially be operated using natural gas as a fuel before possibly switching to hydrogen at a later date.
- Energy sources: hard coal, fuel oil and natural gas; also hydrogen in the future
- Plant output: 1,018 MW
- District heating output: 280 MW
Heilbronn combined heat and power plant, one of our largest hard coal power plants, first went online in 1923. Three hard coal-fired blocks at the site produce electricity and district heating in combined heat and power mode. For balancing purposes, a battery energy storage system with a capacity of five megawatt-hours was commissioned at the power plant in 2017. A new gas and steam turbine plant for flexibly dispatchable capacity is currently being built at the site, which will initially be operated using natural gas as a fuel before possibly switching to hydrogen at a later date.
- Energy sources: hard coal; natural gas from 2027; also natural gas and hydrogen in the future
- Plant output: 1,028 MW
- District heating output: 320 MW
Mannheim large-scale power plant (GKM) was commissioned in 1921. Four hard coal-fired blocks at the site produce electricity and district heating for the Rhine-Neckar region in combined heat and power mode. Two of these blocks are now part of the grid reserve and are only used when the network operator needs them. A new construction project for flexibly dispatchable power plant capacity is currently being examined at the site, with the possibility of a new gas and steam turbine plant initially being operated using natural gas as a fuel before switching to hydrogen at a later date.
- EnBW stake in the power plant: 32%
- Energy sources: hard coal; also natural gas and hydrogen in the future
- Plant output: 2,146 MW
- District heating output: 1,500 MW
Marbach power plant first went online in 1940. It serves as a reserve power plant or as special technical equipment for grids, ensuring grid stability and security of supply in southern Germany. Marbach 3 and Marbach 4 gas turbines at the site produce urgently needed electricity when required. It also has storage tanks for light fuel oil to ensure that the plants have a sufficient supply of fuel at all times.
- Energy source: fuel oil
- Plant output: 395 MW
- Thermal output: 1,254 MW
The power plant site in Obrigheim is located between Heidelberg and Heilbronn on the Neckar and has shaped energy generation in Baden-Württemberg for decades. A new construction project for flexibly dispatchable power plant capacity is currently being examined at the site, with the possibility of a new gas and steam turbine plant initially being operated using natural gas as a fuel before switching to hydrogen at a later date.
- Planned energy sources: natural gas; also hydrogen in the future
- Planned nominal electrical output: approx. 850 MW
Rheinhafen steam power plant in Karlsruhe (RDK) first went online in 1955. A combined cycle gas turbine plant and two hard coal-fired blocks at the site produce electricity and district heating in combined heat and power mode. Block 8, which has been in market operation since 2014, is one of the most efficient hard coal-fired blocks in the world with a net efficiency level of 46%. A new construction project for flexibly dispatchable power plant capacity is currently being examined at the site, with the possibility of a new gas and steam turbine plant initially being operated using natural gas as a fuel before switching to hydrogen at a later date.
- Energy sources: hard coal and natural gas; also hydrogen in the future
- Plant output: 1,811 MW
- District heating output: 220 MW
As one of the most modern hard coal power plants in the Federal Republic of Germany, Rostock currently has one of the highest degrees of efficiency of any hard coal power plant in Europe at 43.2% (62% with full utilization of heat extraction). The medium-load power plant was commissioned in 1994 and was the first new building of its kind in the new federal states. A special feature of Rostock power plant is its 141.5-meter-high cooling tower, which also serves as a chimney.
- EnBW stake in the power plant: 50.38%
- Energy source: hard coal
- Plant output: 553 MW
- District heating output: 150 MW
Stuttgart-Gaisburg combined heat and power plant reliably supplies energy for Stuttgart’s district heating grid. In operation since 1950, the site was fundamentally modernized from 2017 to 2019. Today, three gas engines produce electricity and district heating in combined heat and power mode. Five natural gas-fired boilers are also available to generate district heating. With an additional heat storage facility boasting a capacity of 300 megawatt-hours, it plays an important role as a peak and reserve power plant for the Stuttgart / mid-Neckar district heating region.
- Energy sources: natural gas; hydrogen in the future
- Plant output: 30 MW
- District heating output: 310 MW
Stuttgart-Münster combined heat and power plant first went online in 1908. It reliably generates energy for the mid-Neckar region. Two gas turbine plants, three hard coal-fired boilers and a waste incineration plant at the site produce electricity and district heating in combined heat and power mode. In addition, a large-scale heat pump generates district heating via its cooling water discharge.
- Energy sources: residual waste, hard coal, fuel oil and natural gas; hydrogen in the future
- Plant output: 238 MW
- District heating output: 450 MW
Walheim power plant first went online in 1964. In the future, it will be able to sustainably recycle sewage sludge from the Baden-Württemberg region. A gas turbine will be used at the site during times of peak demand in the power grid, while a sewage sludge combined heat and power plant, which is currently being built, will also produce electricity and district heating as a by-product in the future. The district heating that is extracted can supply up to 300 households.
- Energy sources: fuel oil and, from 2028, sewage sludge
- Plant output: 143 MW
Power plants that harness the sun, wind and water
The share of renewable energies in our generation mix stood at more than 65 percent0Source: Integrated Annual Report 2025, audited in 2025 – well above the German average of around 55.8 percent0Source: BDEW – and we are proud of that. We want to continue to increase this share, which is why we are investing massively in the expansion of wind power, solar energy and hydropower.
The use of natural gas is just a bridging technology in our power plants. Our long-term goal is to fully switch to lower-carbon alternatives such as decarbonized hydrogen, which is produced using electricity from 100% renewable energies. Before the switch can be made, however, the power plants must be converted and connected to the hydrogen core network that is currently being developed. We are already gearing ourselves up for this.