Already today, twice as much electricity is generated from one kilogram of hard coal than during the fifties. But our goals are set higher. E.ON Kraftwerke wants to continue increasing the efficiency of coal fired power stations so that resources are saved and at the same time CO₂ emissions reduced.

E.ON Kraftwerke as forerunner

Efforts to increase the efficiency in power station technology are made all over the world. However, what will be a worldwide novelty is the fact that E.ON Kraftwerke is building the first large hard coal fired power station using completely novel materials and yielding an output of roughly 500 megawatts.

At the COMTES700 plant in the Scholven power station, constructional elements and components, which are able to resist a steam temperature of 700°C and a pressure of 350 bar, are being tested for this purpose. This is an important prerequisite, because higher temperatures and pressures are the key to higher efficiencies. This is made possible by materials consisting of nickel alloys that are more resilient than steel and completely novel in power station construction.

The goal is to achieve an efficiency in excess of 50 percent, which would mean a quantum leap in power station technology. Until now, state-of-the art plants achieved efficiencies of 46 percent. The average in Germany is 38 percent. This does not only save fuels, but also 750,000 million tons of carbon dioxide every year.

The scheduled site for this power station of the future is Wilhelmshaven. Apart from the current research projects, we will have completed the plant layout for this "Kraftwerk 50plus" by the end of 2008 and will commence with the construction of this plant as early as 2010. We are planning to start up this worldwide unique power station in the year 2014 and to thus give the starting signal for a new era in the use of coal for the generation of electric energy.