EnBW lays foundation stone for extension to the Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim in the presence of Premier Günther Oettinger and EDF Chairman and CEO Pierre Gadonneix
Iffezheim is about to become the site of one of the largest hydropower plants Europe has ever seen – regenerative electricity from hydropower for over half a million people
Karlsruhe/Iffezheim. In the presence of the Premier of Baden-Württemberg, Günther Oettinger, and the Chairman and CEO of EDF, Pierre Gadonneix, and around 200 invited guests, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG today laid the foundation stone for the construction of a fifth machine at the Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim.
In his address, EnBW Chairman Hans-Peter Villis said: “For me the Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim is not just an exemplary project in the field of Renewable Energies, for me Iffezheim is also a symbol of Franco-German friendship, successful Franco-German cooperation and, not least, a symbol of the strategic partnership between EDF and EnBW. Also, by investing in hydropower EDF and EnBW are discharging their corporate responsibility and contributing to a sustainable source of energy that is friendly to both the climate and the environment. With almost 9 billion kilowatt hours EnBW hydropower plants are able to supply around 2.5 million households or more than 5.5 million people with regenerative electricity from hydropower.”
Pierre Gadonneix, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer EDF,: "The extension of the Iffezheim hydraulic power station enables EDF and EnBW to increase their capacity for non-CO2 emitting electricity production. This achievement is part of the strategy of a group aiming to develop renewable energy, in particular hydraulic energy, which represents the primary renewable energy source in the world to be exploited by EDF. In this way hydroelectricity, along with nuclear energy, helps respond to the growing demand of populations for electricity and to international commitments relating to the fight against global warming. Finally, this feat bears witness to the high level of cooperation between EDF and EnBW and to the successful collaboration which has been run with our joint shareholder OEW for many years. "
"Baden-Württemberg has set itself the goal of increasing the proportion of renewable energy sources for electricity production by at least 20% before the year 2020" emphasised the Minister President, Günther H. Oettinger, in his speech. The security of the state’s supply is increased with the development of renewable energy sources because energy supplies are then built on a wider foundation, explained the head of government. "Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector in Baden-Württemberg. The role will also be assigned to this energy source in the future", says the Minister President. He thanked EnBW and EDF for their extensive commitment in the field of renewable energy which is particularly shown by the construction of the 5th machine in the Iffezheim Rhine power station. With this investment, the companies are making a significant contribution to achieving the state’s development aims in the field of renewable energy sources.
“Expanding the plant with a fifth machine with a capacity of 38 megawatts will increase the average annual production of electricity from Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim by 122 million kilowatt hours from the current around 740 million kilowatt hours to 862 kilowatt hours of regenerative electricity from hydropower. This power can be used to supply more than half a million people. It also means saving around 800,000 tonnes of CO2 by producing electricity from regenerative hydropower,” emphasises Dr. Hans-Josef Zimmer, EnBW Technical Director.
Generating electricity from regenerative hydropower has a long tradition at EnBW. The proportion of electricity from hydropower already makes up 10 per cent of the company's energy mix. With an investment volume of 90 million euros, the addition of a fifth machine is contributing further to exploiting the hydropower potential still to be had in Baden-Württemberg and to increasing the share of renewables in the EnBW energy mix. EnBW aims to increase this share to 20 per cent by 2020.
With four turbines and a current installed capacity of 110 megawatts, the Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim has been supplying around 740 million kilowatts of CO2-free electricity every year since 1978. The plant is operated by the company Rheinkraftwerk Iffezheim GmbH (RKI), in which EnBW and EDF each have a 50 per cent stake. In 2007 RKI GmbH submitted an application to build a fifth machine with 38 MW capacity to the German and French authorities. In June 2008 the Karlsruhe regional council approved the legal waterway consents and the planning permission for the German side. The supervisory board of RKI GmbH passed the construction resolution the following September. After a public display of the planning application documents in Alsace and their approval by an Alsatian committee, the French Council of State also gave the green light to the plant’s expansion at the end of June 2009. Since April various building preparations have been taking place on the very narrow construction site provided for the fifth machine. Right now probe drilling is under way, as is the main excavation and a construction information centre is being set up where from mid-September visitors will be able to obtain information about the building works. The fifth machine is due to come on stream in 2012.