Business field power plants
Energy sources such as coal and gas will remain important components of a reliable supply for the foreseeable future.
Our lignite-fired power plants supply electricity, district heating or process steam flexibly and in line with demand along the legally prescribed phase-out path for this form of energy generation. Our grid-serving gas-fired power plants ensure the stability of the electricity network. At the same time, we are expanding our portfolio. In addition to projects in the fields of renewable energies and battery storage, we are planning new, hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants (H2 ready) to flank the energy transition.
LEAG's power plant portfolio
LEAG operates lignite-fired power plants near Leipzig and in the Lusatian mining region with an installed capacity of around 7,500 megawatts. The power plant sites are located in Jänschwalde and Schwarze Pumpe in Brandenburg as well as Boxberg and Lippendorf in Saxony. The fuel supply is ensured by lignite opencast mines in the regional vicinity of the power plant sites.
Near Berlin, the Thyrow and Ahrensfelde gas turbine power plants form part of Germany's capacity reserve and are only activated in the event of supply shortages. In southern Germany, near Ulm, we operate the Leipheim gas-fired power plant for the transmission system operator Amprion. This plant also serves exclusively to ensure grid stability and, consequently, an uninterrupted power supply.
The lignite-fired power plants
In purely mathematical terms, the electricity generated by our power plants is sufficient to a reliable and continuous supply of approximately 10 million households. With efficient cogeneration (CHP), they also deliver district heating. The supply of heat takes place in close vicinity to our sites for example in the Lusatian towns of Cottbus, Spremberg, Weißwasser and Hoyerswerda. Our third product is process steam available for industrial customers.
The electricity production of the lignite-fired power plants is adapted to the demand of electricity consumers and the currently available electricity generation from renewable energies (redispatch). In this way, they contribute flexibly to stable electricity grid operation and provide system services such as balancing energy and reactive power for the grid operators as well.
By the end of 2038 at the latest, coal-fired power generation in Germany is to be phased out by law. Following the decommissioning of power plants during the reunification period in the 1990s and extensive modernisation measures over the last 30 years, this accelerated phase-out is the lignite industry's final contribution to achieving Germany's climate targets. The phase-out path envisages that LEAG's 500 MW units will be gradually decommissioned, starting in 2025. This will initially affect two units in Jänschwalde, which are to be taken off the grid at the end of 2025 and the end of 2027 using a “prolonged decommissioning mechanism”, comparable to a security stand-by reserve. The Jänschwalde power plant will be completely decommissioned at the end of 2028. The two 500 MW units in Boxberg will follow at the end of 2029. The Lippendorf power plant is scheduled for decommissioning in 2035, Schwarze Pumpe and the remaining Boxberg units at the end of 2038.
| Power plant | Installed capacity | Electricity produced 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Jänschwalde | 1,500 megawatts | 8.2 billion kWh |
| Schwarze Pumpe | 1,600 megawatts | 8.1 billion kWh |
| Boxberg | 2,575 megawatts | 12.5 billion kWh |
| Lippendorf (Block R) | 920 megawatts | 4.5 billion kWh |
Our gas-fired power plants
The German energy supply is undergoing a transformation from mainly conventional generation to almost exclusive use of renewable sources. As a result of the nuclear and coal phase-out secure, weather-independent power plant capacities are gradually decreasing. Gas-fired power plants will therefore remain an important bridging technology for supply security during the energy transition. As controllable and highly flexible plants, they can adapt their production to the electricity demand of consumers and the currently available electricity generation from renewable energies at any time.
For grid operators, our gas-fired power plants in Thyrow, Ahrensfelde and Leipheim perform key functions to ensure stable grid operation and an uninterrupted electricity supply. Looking ahead, we plan to develop additional new gas-fired power plants at existing power plant and industrial sites to ensure a secure electricity supply at all times, even after the coal phase-out. The potential conversion to hydrogen (H₂-ready) opens up sustainable prospects for economic development and value creation in the region.