Anthracite (hard coal)

Anthracite is basically another way of saying “hard coal,” just as lignite is another term for “brown coal.”

In contrast to brown coal, hard coal is more compact with higher energy content, which make it affordable to ship around the world. Hard coal is generally what we imagine as a “lump” of coal. Brown coal is softer. But in practice, there is no clear distinction between lignite and anthracite, which are perhaps best seen as two ranges on a spectrum. Indeed, most of the coal used in the United States is called “bituminous” and has a slightly lower energy content than what Germans would call hard coal.

Hard coal in Germany

Coal mining was an important part of Germany’s history. The beginning of the European Union is rooted in the European Coal and Steel Community, which created a common market between Germany and France.

Coal was an important part of Germany’s economic transformation after World War II and provided many jobs in West Germany: for example, in 1956, 125 million tons of hard coal were mined in one year. The coal industry has received billions of euros of subsidies; however, the coal that is now left in the German reserves is now too difficult to mine.

Germany ended mining of hard coal in 2018 (unfortunately, probably for financial and not environmental reasons). The last two hard coal plants in Germany, Prosper-Haniel and Ibbenbüren, closed in 2018. In the last year before their closure, they produced 3.9 million tons of coal.  In the EU hard coal production is declining overall, and in 2017 about 80.7 million tons of hard coal were mined.

However, Germany is still burning hard coal in its power plants. In 2016, Germany imported 53 mt of hard coal, or about 4 percent of the world’s total supply. However, this may not last long, as renewables are pushing out coal. In June 2017, the monthly electricity production of PV systems was higher than that of hard coal power plants.

List of hard coal power plants in Germany

Data via the German environmental agency (Umwelt Bundesamt), last updated 2018.

Power Plant name Owner City Capacity (MW) District heat (MW) Year Built (Renovated)
Altbach/Deizisau HKW 1 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Altbach 476 280 1985 (2006)
Altbach/Deizisau HKW 2 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Altbach 379 280 1997 (2012)
Bergkamen A RWE Power AG / Steag GmbH Bergkamen 780 20 1981
Berlin-Moabit A Vattenfall Europe GmbH Berlin 100 136 1969 (1990)
Berlin-Reuter C Vattenfall Europe GmbH Berlin 132 244 1969
Berlin-Reuter-West D Vattenfall Europe GmbH Berlin 300 363 1987
Berlin-Reuter-West E Vattenfall Europe GmbH Berlin 300 363 1988
Bexbach Steag Power Saar GmbH Bexbach 780 1983
Bremen-Farge Engie Deutschland AG Bremen 397 26 1969 (2007)
Bremen-Hafen 6, (Elfi) swb Erzeugung GmbH Bremen 315 39 1979
Bremen-Hastedt 15 swb Erzeugung GmbH Bremen 130 150 1989
Duisburg-Walsum 9 Steag GmbH Duisburg 410 295 1988
Duisburg-Walsum 10 Steag GmbH Duisburg 790 n.b. 2013
Frankfurt-West 2 u. 3 Mainova AG Frankfurt / M. 144 210 1989
Gelsenkirchen-Scholven B Uniper SE Gelsenkirchen 370 1968
Gelsenkirchen-Scholven C Uniper SE Gelsenkirchen 370 1969
Gersteinwerk K2 (DT) (Werne) RWE Power AG Werne/Lippe 665.5 1984
Hamburg-Moorburg A Vattenfall Europe GmbH Hamburg 827 120 2015
Hamburg-Moorburg B Vattenfall Europe GmbH Hamburg 827 120 2015
Hamburg-Tiefstack HKW Vattenfall Europe GmbH Hamburg 205 785 1993
Hannover-Stöcken Enercity (StW Hannover), Continental, VWK Hannover 300 425 1989
Heilbronn 5 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Heilbronn 125 28 1965 (2010)
Heilbronn 6 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Heilbronn 125 28 1966 (2010)
Heilbronn 7 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Heilbronn 816 550 1985 (2009)
Herne 4 Steag GmbH / StW Herne Herne 511 550 1989 (2013)
Heyden Uniper SE Petershagen 923 1987
Ibbenbüren RWE Power AG Ibbenbüren 838 20 1985 (2009)
Karlsruhe-RDK 7 EnBW (Rheinhafen) Karlsruhe 550 220 1985 (2005)
Karlsruhe-RDK 8 EnBW (Rheinhafen) Karlsruhe 912 220 2014
Kiel-Ost (GKK) Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Kiel GmbH Kiel 354 295 1970 (1992)
Lünen 6 Steag GmbH Lünen 170 1963 (1996)
Lünen 7 Steag GmbH Lünen 350 n.b. 1970 (1997)
Lünen Stummhafen Trianel Kohlekraftwerk Lünen GmbH Lünen 820 35 2013
Mannheim 6 GKM Mannheim 280 n.b. 1975 (2005)
Mannheim 7 GKM Mannheim 475 500 1983
Mannheim 8 GKM Mannheim 480 500 1993
Mannheim 9 GKM Mannheim 911 500 2015
Mehrum 3 (C) Kraftwerk Mehrum GmbH / EPH Hohenhameln 750 n.b. 1979 (2003)
München-Nord 2 StW München Unterföhring 365 550 1991
Quierschied-Weiher Steag Power Saar GmbH Quierschied 724 30 1976
Rostock KNG mbH Rostock 553 150 1994
Staudinger 5 (Großkrotzenburg) Uniper SE Großkrotzenburg 553 300 1992
Völklingen-Fenne HKV Steag Power Saar GmbH Völklingen-Fenne 233 185 1989
Völklingen-Fenne MKV Steag Power Saar GmbH Völklingen-Fenne 233 210 1982
Walheim 1 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Walheim 107 1965 (2011)
Walheim 2 EnBW Kraftwerke AG Walheim 160 1967 (2011)
Wedel 1 Vattenfall Europe GmbH Wedel 151 423 1988 (1993)
Wedel 2 Vattenfall Europe GmbH Wedel 138.7 1989 (1993)
Westfalen E (Hamm-Uentrop) RWE Generation SE Hamm-Uentrop 820 2014
Wilhelmshaven (Uniper) Uniper SE Wilhelmshaven 788.1 1976
Wilhelmshaven (Engie) Engie Deutschland AG / BKW FMB Energie Wilhelmshaven 830 2015
Wolfsburg Nord A+B VW Kraftwerk GmbH Wolfsburg 140 755 1959 (2000)
Wolfsburg West 10 VW Kraftwerk GmbH Wolfsburg 153 130 1985
Wolfsburg West 20 VW Kraftwerk GmbH Wolfsburg 153 130 1985
Zolling-Leininger 5 Engie Deutschland AG Zolling 474 150 1986 (2011)