Frimmersdorf power station

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Frimmersdorf power station is an operating power station of at least 635-megawatts (MW) in Grevenbroich, Rhein-Kreis Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Frimmersdorf power station	Grevenbroich, Rhein-Kreis Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany	51.056231, 6.578444 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• New Unit: 51.056231, 6.578444
• Unit C, Unit D, Unit E, Unit F, Unit G, Unit H, Unit I, Unit J, Unit K, Unit L, Unit M, Unit N, Unit O, Unit P, Unit Q: 51.055469, 6.57635

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year	Retired year
New Unit	cancelled	coal: lignite	1000	ultra-supercritical	–	–
Unit C	retired	coal: lignite	140	subcritical	1957	2011
Unit D	retired	coal: lignite	141	subcritical	1957	2011
Unit E	retired	coal: lignite	141	subcritical	1959	2012
Unit F	retired	coal: lignite	143	subcritical	1960	2012
Unit G	retired	coal: lignite	135	subcritical	1960	2011
Unit H	retired	coal: lignite	150	subcritical	1961	2012
Unit I	retired	coal: lignite	139	subcritical	1960	2012
Unit J	retired	coal: lignite	150	subcritical	1962	2012
Unit K	retired	coal: lignite	148	subcritical	1962	2012
Unit L	retired	coal: lignite	142	subcritical	1962	2012
Unit M	retired	coal: lignite	150	subcritical	1962	2012
Unit N	retired	coal: lignite	147	subcritical	1964	2012
Unit O	retired	coal: lignite	145	subcritical	1964	2012
Unit P	operating	coal: lignite	325	subcritical	1966	2021 (planned)
Unit Q	operating	coal: lignite	310	subcritical	1970	2021 (planned)

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
New Unit	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit C	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit D	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit E	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit F	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit G	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit H	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit I	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit J	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit K	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit L	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit M	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit N	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit O	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit P	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]
Unit Q	RWE Power AG [100%]	RWE AG [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Coal source(s): Garzweiler mine, domestic

Background

The Frimmersdorf power station in Grevenbroich was one of the largest lignite-fired power plants in Germany. It was located directly on Garzweiler mine in the Rhenish lignite mining area. The first power station in Frimmersdorf was established in 1926 and had an output of 26-megawatts (MW). It was shut down in 1954. The power station later consisted of seventeen coal units, Units A-Q, commissioned from 1956-1970. Units A to B were 100 MW each and retired in 1988. The turbine at block H was damaged in 2005 and placed in reserve status. Units C to O of 150 MW each were retired in 2011 to 2012.

“Paula” (P) and “Quelle” (Q)

Units P and Q, of 325 MW and 310 MW respectively, were the only units recently operating. In October 2017, Frimmersdorf P and Q were taken offline and made available on request of transmission system operators.

The units were decommissioned in 2021.

Proposed expansion

A 1,000 MW expansion was under consideration and then cancelled.

Opposition

On Thursday, December 11, 2010, workers staged a protest for three hours, demanding higher pay from the company, RWE, in charge of the Frimmersdof coal plant in Germany. The following Friday, December 12, 2010, thousands of workers blocked traffic to and from the coal plants. The worker unions leading the protest, Verdi and IG BCE, demanded 6.5% more pay, citing how RWE had record profits for years.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.