Germany's 35 MW Power-to-Heat Project Officially Commissioned at Leuna Chemical Park

en.Wedoany.com Reported - InfraLeuna has officially commissioned a 35 MW Power-to-Heat system at the Leuna Chemical Park in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The core equipment is a 35 MW electrode boiler, which has been integrated into the park's existing energy infrastructure. It converts electrical energy into superheated process steam and feeds it into the park's steam grid, with a maximum steam supply capacity of 45 tons per hour.

The system operates at steam parameters of 47 bar(g) and 320°C. InfraLeuna states that this is the first large-scale Power-to-Heat system in a European chemical park to reach this pressure level. The boiler's technical power ramp rate can reach up to 11 MW per minute, but is limited to a maximum of 7 MW per minute in actual operation to accommodate the load variations of the connected steam grid. Based on the operating conditions defined for the project, the annual CO₂ reduction potential is up to approximately 52,000 tons compared to conventional gas-based steam production.

The project was implemented in cooperation between InfraLeuna and transmission system operator 50Hertz Transmission. InfraLeuna is responsible for planning, construction, and operation, while 50Hertz bears the investment costs of €13.6 million and has integrated the system into grid congestion management. When the grid requires a reduction in wind and solar power output, a portion of the electricity can be diverted to the electrode boiler for process steam production, while InfraLeuna's existing gas and steam turbine power plant can correspondingly reduce its operating load and natural gas consumption.

The project commenced in October 2024, with ETABO Energietechnik und Anlagenservice serving as the general contractor. The 35 MW electrode boiler was installed in late 2025 and commissioned in August 2026. 50Hertz and InfraLeuna initially signed the construction and operation contract in February 2025, with the system designed for an electrical and thermal output of approximately 35 MW each.