EnBW Commissions Hydrogen Capable Gas Fired Power Plant

At the start of the heating season, Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW) will commence commercial operation of its hydrogen-capable gas fired power plant in Stuttgart/Münster. The plant officially began operations in April 2025 and is now ready to supply the city of Stuttgart with electricity and district heating. From the mid-2030s, the plant will operate with up to 100 percent low-carbon hydrogen – provided sufficient hydrogen is available.

The gas-fired power plant has an electrical output of 124 megawatts (MW) and a thermal output of 370 MW. An integrated large-scale heat pump will also supply up to 24 MW of district heating. Together with the existing waste incineration plant, the site will achieve a total thermal output of 450 MW. The coal fired unit and the new fuel switch plant will operate in parallel until spring 2026, after which Stuttgart will be completely coal free.

With the scheduled transition to commercial operation, EnBW, together with the Stuttgart/Gaisburg and Altbach/Deizisau combined heat and power plants, will be able to reliably supply heat to households, businesses, and public institutions in the Middle Neckar district heating grid. Furthermore, the new gas fired power plant will be able to participate in the balancing energy market, thus contributing to the stability of the electricity grid.

"With the start of commercial operation, we can reliably ensure the energy supply in Stuttgart while simultaneously reducing CO₂ emissions by around 60 percent," explains Guido Bauernfeind, Operations Manager of the Stuttgart/Münster power plant. "The hydrogen capable gas fired power plant is also an important partner for the further expansion of renewable energies. Thanks to its high flexibility, it can be scaled up quickly and thus compensate for fluctuations in the electricity grid when there is insufficient electricity from renewable sources due to weather conditions."