LEAG Gas Turbines Secure Capacity Reserve for Two More Years

Energy company LEAG has successfully participated in the tender for the fourth period of Germany's capacity reserve with its two gas turbine power plants (GTPP) at Thyrow and Ahrensfelde. For the period from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028, both sites will jointly provide a secured reserve capacity of 270 megawatts, making a substantial contribution to Germany's security of electricity supply.

Tender target missed again

The capacity reserve has been in place since the 2020/2021 winter half-year to buffer scarcity situations in the electricity market. The target of 2,000 megawatts of total reserve capacity was once again not fully covered in the fourth tender period. According to the German transmission system operators' information platform Netztransparenz.de, approximately 65 percent of the tendered reserve capacity will be met. This highlights the importance of available controllable capacity for security of supply.

LEAG CEO calls for fair tender conditions for new power plants

On the occasion of the award, LEAG CEO Adi Roesch emphasised the company's role as a stability anchor in the German electricity system. He also pointed to the need for reliable policy frameworks for the construction of new controllable plants: the current draft legislation on the Electricity Supply Security and Capacities Act (StromVKG) must ensure fair tender conditions so that new hydrogen-capable power plants can be economically realised in eastern Germany as well. LEAG states that it is already in the implementation phase for renewable energy and large-scale battery storage projects.

Dispatch only on instruction from the transmission system operator

Within the capacity reserve, the gas turbine power plants at Thyrow and Ahrensfelde will be activated exclusively on instruction from transmission system operator 50Hertz Transmission GmbH — and only in extraordinary, unforeseeable situations where supply on the wholesale electricity market is insufficient to meet total electricity demand. The Thyrow gas turbine power plant also has the capability to initiate grid restoration in the event of a blackout. The Thyrow gas turbine power plant south of Berlin entered service in the late 1980s and contributes five gas turbines of 30 megawatts each to the reserve. The Ahrensfelde gas turbine power plant northeast of Berlin was commissioned in the early 1990s and brings four gas turbines of 30 megawatts each. Remote monitoring of both sites is carried out from LEAG's Schwarze Pumpe power plant; on-site operations and maintenance are handled by LEAG subsidiary GMB GmbH.