Germany is to hand over to Ukraine a gas-fired power station that used to supply the Nord Stream pipeline
Germany plans to transfer a gas-fired combined-cycle power station to Ukraine, which previously supplied the Nord Stream gas pipeline. This was reported by *Die Welt*, citing Sefe Securing Energy for Europe, formerly Gazprom Germania.
The plant in question is located in Lubmin near Greifswald and is owned by Industriekraftwerk Greifswald GmbH. The plant was used to generate process heat whilst Russian gas was being fed into the German gas transmission network. According to the NDR television channel, its capacity is 84 megawatts of heat and electricity.
In the summer of 2022, Russia reduced and subsequently completely halted gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline. The pipeline itself, like Nord Stream 2 – which was never commissioned due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine – suffered serious damage as a result of explosions. Following this, Germany announced it would cease importing Russian gas.
Sefe, the majority owner of Industriekraftwerk Greifswald GmbH, noted that following the cessation of gas supplies via the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the plant’s operation had become unprofitable. As there were no other heat consumers, the facility was completely shut down in 2023.
No buyer could be found for the plant. The company reported that, as part of humanitarian aid, the facility will be transferred to a Ukrainian power plant operator on a self-collection basis.
Sefe added that this decision avoids the costs of dismantling or disposing of the equipment, and also helps to support Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
