Guided tour of the facility as part of the inauguration.
In Germany, EnBW and TransnetBW have launched a new power plant to serve as a backup source of stability for the power grid, in the case of equipment failure.
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG has inaugurated a new grid stability facility at the Marbach power plant with its client, German TSO TransnetBW GmbH.
The new grid stability plant in Marbach is a classic power plant, operated as ‘special grid equipment’ according to Section 11 Paragraph 3 of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG). It is therefore not used to generate electricity for general needs on the market, but serves exclusively to ensure grid stability on behalf of TransnetBW.
Explaining in a release was Michael Class, head of Generation Portfolio Development at EnBW, who commented on the occasion of the plant’s handover: “The plant in Marbach is necessary so that the transformation of our energy system towards a climate-friendly energy supply can succeed while at the same time guaranteeing security of supply.
“From the outset, it is not intended to replace any power plant output that may fail or to influence the energy market. It will be used in situations in which equipment in the transmission network, such as transformers, substations or parts of the network, fail and a critical condition arises in the power grid. In this case, the power plant can restore grid stability at short notice.”
Location selection and delays
According to EnBW in a release, the selection of Marbach for the grid stability power plant was made due to its existing infrastructure, available space and in light of economic considerations.
Said Tobias Egeler, head of Grid Management and Digitization at TransnetBW: “Today we are jointly inaugurating a facility that will help TransnetBW to keep the power grid safe and stable. It will also support the transformation of our power system towards more renewable energy in the power grid.
“We are very grateful to the city of Marbach for allowing the facility to be located here.”
Added Jan Trost, Mayor of Marbach: “The new grid stability facility makes an important contribution to our energy future, which is why we also supported the project constructively in the local council.”
The plant was originally scheduled to go into operation in 2022. But, according to project manager Florian Hennies, external causes, such as crisis-related delivery difficulties, pandemic-induced plant closures and component damage, resulted in a delay.
“We are therefore all the more pleased that the plant passed all the strict tests and certifications in the weeks of the so-called ‘hot commissioning’ and was able to go into operation reliably and safely at the end of September 2024.”
The construction of the new plant is based on a decision by the Federal Network Agency in 2018 and is intended to ensure grid stability in southern Germany.
Such ‘special grid equipment’ are not allowed to participate in the electricity market during their operation. These plants are only used at the request of the transmission system operators and in crisis situation – for example when equipment in the transmission network fails – to maintain grid and system security. They are available much more quickly than the existing grid reserve – usually made up of older systems.
The plant will be built as an open gas turbine that will run on extra-light heating oil (HEL). It has a thermal output of 940MW and an electrical output of around 300MW.
EnBW is also planning a large battery storage facility on the same power plant site. With a capacity of 100MWh and an output of 100MW, this will be the largest storage facility of this kind in EnBW’s generation area.
The large battery storage facility uses the existing infrastructure on site together with the grid stabilisation system, including the grid connection. This allows for synergies in the project.
Commissioning is planned for the end of 2025.
