MIBRAG and EnBW are investigating the construction of a new modern lignite-fired power plant
Theißen/Karlsruhe. Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlengesellschaft mbH (MIBRAG) in Theißen and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG in Karlsruhehave entered into an exclusive partnership agreement to investigate the construction of a new modern lignite-fired power plant in Profen (in the Federal State of Sachsen-Anhalt) by the end of March 2007. Both partners have already been successfully working together for a long time in the Lippendorf power plant.
The objective of the joint venture being investigated should be to construct a state-of-the-art power plant. With an output of about 660 MW, it should replace the two older lignite-fired power plants in Deuben and Mumsdorf. By using state-of-the-art technologies and a significantly higher degree of efficiency, the power plant would be much more energy efficient and thus also more environmentally friendly.
Moreover, the power plant would also make a significant contribution to safeguarding the lignite mining industry in Central Germany for many decades to come and therefore protect jobs in the region. In this way, EnBW could base its generation mix on a greater generation basis in the long term. In 2005, 36 percent of the electricity supplied by EnBW came from nuclear energy, about 24 percent came from fossil fuels and other forms of energy and just under 16 percent came from renewable forms of energy. EnBW is also currently in the preliminary planning stage for the possible construction of a new coal-fired unit and gas-fired combined cycle unit at the Karlsruhe site. In Rheinfelden (Baden-Württemberg), EnBW is currently constructing a new hydropower plant with an installed output of 100 MW . The average amount of electricity generated in the Rheinfelden hydropower plant will thus be more than tripled from the 190 million kilowatt-hours generated by the old power plant to about 600 million kilowatt-hours. This EnBW project is currently deemed to be the largest national construction project in Germany in the area of renewable forms of energy.
Since being privatised in 1994, Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlengesellschaft mbH (MIBRAG) has successfully implemented a strategy for ensuring competitiveness and invested approx. one billion euros to achieve this. The company has thus proven itself to be a reliable and important economic factor for the region. The main business segment of the company is the mining and sale of raw lignite, as well as its refinement. MIBRAG operates the opencast mines Profen and Vereinigtes Schleenhain, the power plants in Deuben, Mumsdorf and Wählitz and the coal dust processing plant in Deuben. With its investments, the mining company which has almost 2,100 employees, 141 of whom are trainees, is one of the biggest employers in the three Federal States of Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen. (Homepage: www.mibrag.de)
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG is headquartered in Karlsruhe and has about 5 million customers, making it the third-largest energy company in Germany. In 2005, EnBW had about 18,000 employees and generated annual sales of 10.77 billion euros. Its core activities focus on the business segments electricity, gas and energy and environmental services. (Homepage: www.enbw.com)
Contact persons for questions:
For EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG:
Dirk Ommeln
Tel. 0721-63 12 320
Email: presse@enbw.com
For Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlengesellschaft mbH (MIBRAG):
Dr. Angelika Diesener
Tel. 03441-684515
Email: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@mail.mibrag.de