Global

UTILISE INSTEAD OF REGULATE

A power-to-heat (PtH) plant will be built in the Industrial Park Lausitz by mid-2026. It is a joint project between BASF InfraServices & Solutions Lausitz GmbH and 50Hertz, which will make a further contribution to the decarbonisation of industry and thus to climate protection. The plant will convert surplus green electricity, primarily from regional wind turbines, into process heat according to the principle of "use instead of curtailment". This is 50Hertz's first PtH project with an industrial company and the first of its kind in Brandenburg.

About the project

Turning renewable energies into added value

When renewable energies generate more electricity than can be transported to the consumer centers via the electricity grids in strong winds and blue skies, grid bottlenecks occur. In order to protect the lines and substations from dangerous overloading, wind turbines or photovoltaic systems have to be curtailed in such situations and the operators receive compensation for the losses. PtH is one way of avoiding this curtailment and redirecting the electricity into the generation of "green" heat.

Energy management of the future

The PtH plant fits into the energy structure of the Industrial Park Lausitz. In addition to the existing gas and steam turbine power plant (CCGT), which generates electricity and heat simultaneously according to the principle of combined heat and power generation, the electric boiler will also be available as an option for steam generation. In future, the CCGT power plant can be shut down whenever the PtH plant takes in electricity from renewables and converts it into thermal energy. This will save fuel costs and reduce CO₂ emissions.

Facts and figures

The PtH plant consists of a so-called electrode boiler with an output of 25 megawatts (MW), in which water is heated by electricity like in an electric kettle. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in mid-2026. 50Hertz is investing a maximum of around 19 million euros in its construction and grid connection and will be granted the right to use it around the clock to alleviate grid bottlenecks, known as redispatch measures.

Your advantage

Utilisation instead of curtailment - for a strong, sustainable industry.

In recent years, the CCGT power plant at the Schwarzheide site has been modernised and at the same time the conditions have been created to use renewable energies in the value chain in the future. The combination of the CCGT power plant, the company's own solar park with energy storage and knowledge of the situation on the electricity exchange makes it possible for the site operating company of the Industrial Park Lausitz to choose the most favorable and sustainable power supply option for the site.

From 2026, the Industrial Park Lausitz will supply process steam from 100% renewable electricity - reliably, sustainably and competitively. Thanks to innovative power-to-heat technology, you benefit from:

Cost benefits through flexible energy management
Climate-friendly production for your "green" products
Security of supply thanks to modern infrastructure

Partner

50Hertz

50Hertz operates the electricity transmission grid in northern and eastern Germany and is expanding it to meet the needs of the energy transition. Our extra-high-voltage grid has a circuit length of over 10,000 kilometers - that's the distance from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro. The 50Hertz grid area covers the federal states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia as well as the city states of Berlin and Hamburg. In these regions, 50Hertz secures the electricity supply for 18 million people around the clock with around 1,800 employees. 50Hertz is a leader in the secure integration of renewable energies: In our grid area, we want to securely integrate 100 percent renewable energies into the grid and system by 2032. The shareholders of 50Hertz are the listed Belgian holding company Elia Group (80 percent) and KfW Bankengruppe with 20 percent. As a European transmission system operator, 50Hertz is a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

The 'use instead of curtailment' principle creates a win-win situation and makes economic sense. Instead of paying compensation for electricity that is not produced, we are provided with an effective instrument for maintaining system stability. In order to alleviate grid bottlenecks in the future, the expansion of the electricity transmission grids is the most important measure required. This must be supplemented by various storage systems, including PtH systems in industry and in municipalities with district heating networks.

Dr. Dirk Biermann

Managing Director Operations (COO), 50 Hertz

The construction of the power-to-heat plant and the decision to use green steam is another building block in preparing the Industrial Park Lausitz for the future. In future, we will be able to meet our customers' increasing demand for products with green properties even more flexibly.

Jürgen Fuchs

Chairman of the Board of Management of BASF InfraServices & Solutions Lausitz GmbH