| Power plant location | Lingen, Lower Saxony |
| Power plant type | Combined-cycle units and Gas and steam turbine (CCGT) plant |
| Commissioned in | 1972 and mid-2009 |
| Investment | approx. €500 million |
| Unit capacity (net) | 1,828 MW |
| Fuel | Natural gas |
| Efficency | over 60% |
| Steam extraction | 100 t/h max. |
Indispensable flexibility for the energy transition
Emsland power plant consists of three natural gas-fired units. Units B and C were commissioned in 1974/1975 and refurbished in 2012. The units have a net capacity of 476 MW each.
The state-of-the-art gas and steam turbine power plant (CCGT plant, unit D) has a net capacity of 876 MW and commenced commercial operation in 2010.
The three blocks consist of two gas turbines and a downstream steam turbine each. The gas turbines of the combined natural gas units B and C are modified aircraft turbines and reach full load from zero within just a few minutes. The CCGT system can also increase its load rapidly and reach 60% of its net capacity within 45 minutes. Due to their ability to start up fast and loads that can be adjusted quickly, these plants ideally complement renewables, because they can quickly balance out fluctuating feed-ins from wind power and photovoltaic systems.
Units B and C – powerful combination
The two combined-cycle units B and C consist of two 58-MW topping gas turbines, a natural gas-fired steam generator and a downstream steam turbine with a net capacity of 360 MW.
In the event of a grid collapse these turbines can even be started up with emergency diesel generators. The power plant is thus capable of carrying out self-contained "black" starts and would make an important contribution towards reestablishing the grid in the event of an emergency.
Unit D – cutting edge technology that sets new standards
Unit D sets new global standards in efficiency and environmental friendliness. Like its adjacent units B and C, unit D, too, is designed for cogeneration. The gas turbine capacity is significantly higher than the steam turbine capacity in this unit, resulting in a purely electrical net efficiency of 60%. When process steam is decoupled, fuel efficiency increases yet again.
Gas supply and gas pipe array
The Emsland gas power plant can obtain the required gas from five different supply grids. In order to uncouple fuel procurement and power generation as much as possible, RWE has built a natural gas optimisation pipeline with capacities for more than 2 million m3 of natural gas. This is enough gas to operate all three power plant blocks at full load for approximately 6 hours.
