In order to secure a reliable energy supply for Southern Germany, the transmission system operators in Southern Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have put “grid stability systems”, each with a capacity of 300 MW, out for tender. They are due to be commissioned in 2022. RWE has looked into this option and submitted an offer for the Biblis power plant site.

On November 13th 2020 RWE Generation was awarded the contract for building and operating a gas-fired grid reserve plant in Biblis by transmission system operators Amprion. The new grid stability plant will be built just south of the current power plant site. It will provide a secure capacity of 300 megawatts and will come on stream by October 2022.

The transmission system operators Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW have put grid stability plants with a capacity of 300 MW each out for tender. These are due to go on stream in 2022 in order to ensure a reliable energy supply for Southern Germany. The main specifications in the tender are:

• a start-up time to full capacity of 30 minutes max.
• continuous output for at least 38 hours
• a time of 12 hours max. between two consecutive power delivery periods
• a total operating time (without test runs) of at least 500 hours per year
• the plant to go on stream no later than 1 October 2022

For the construction and operation of the plant a licence pursuant to section 4 of the German Federal Emission Control Act (BImSchG) must be obtained. In addition, an environmental impact assessment needs to be carried out.

The planned gas turbine power plant comprises eleven identical gas turbine units with fuel supply, grid connection and auxiliary equipment. The plant will feature a modular design. In this way, the contractually required capacity of 300 MW can be ensured.

RWE will implement the plant using feasible technologies that meet the tender specifications. The gas turbine power plant can be used flexibly and started-up and shut down daily. It can thus quickly and easily balance out possible fluctuations due to feed-in of electricity from renewables.

Approval for an annual operating time of a maximum of 1,500 hours will be sought that can take place all day from Monday to Sunday during the total operating time that has been applied for. The gas turbine power plant is to be constructed on a site belonging to the municipality of Biblis in the Bergstrasse district (Southern Hesse region). The planned power plant will be situated next to the existing Biblis nuclear power plant.

RWE Generation has already informed the public about the planned project and the associated approval procedures in early December 2019.

You can find more detailed information in our brochure (in German).