Beyond this site once stood the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf. It was a power plant that began operations in 1977. The Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf was shut down in 2021. Construction of the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf started in 1973. It belonged to BEWAG.
At the time of its construction, the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf used three MS9001B gas turbines. Alsthom and General Electric cooperated to manufacture them in Belfort, France. Each of the three blocks at Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf could generate 110 megawatts. Each block also had a 102-meter-high chimney. The Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf received an architectural prize in the 1980s for its striking design.
Unlike many power plants, the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf wasn’t near a river. It had to draw its cooling water from underground sources. An explosion occurred in one of the blocks on January 2, 1992. Vattenfall Europe, a subdivision of Vattenfall, ran the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf.
The Kraftwerk Wilmersdorf was built in 1977. It was on the site of a former electricity plant from 1911. Kraftwerk Wilmersdorf used combined heat and power. This means it produced both electricity and heat from one fuel source. The three bright silver chimneys were quite visible. They stood 102 meters tall. One of the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf blocks exploded on January 2, 1992.
In its final years, the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf played a small role in Berlin’s power and heat supply. It only operated during peak demand. Vattenfall shut down the power plant and announced its demolition. By the end of 2022, the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf was planned to disappear. Its silhouette with the three orange boiler houses and silver chimneys was a familiar sight.
The history of the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf began in 1911. But the landmark power plant near the A100 autobahn was not destined to last longer than 110 years. Vattenfall took the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf off the grid. The dismantling of the three prominent chimneys and boiler houses started in June 2021. A landmark vanished from Berlin’s cityscape. Dismantling the heating plant also marked a milestone. It was a step toward Berlin’s climate neutrality.
Two of the three gas turbines at the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf were still operational at that time. They were decommissioned on April 1, 2021. Dismantling work began immediately. A giant crane was erected in the second half of June. It dismantled the 102-meter-high chimneys and boiler houses piece by piece.
The Wilmersdorf site has three natural gas-based hot water generators since 2018. They provide a total thermal output of around 120 megawatts. They can quickly supply heat when needed. Together with combined heat and power plants at other locations, they serve as peak load plants. They ensure a reliable heat supply even on very cold days.
The Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf disappeared. But the energy location lives on. Besides power generation, the site on Forckenbeckstrasse in Wilmersdorf has always played a key role in district heat distribution. As part of Berlin’s heat transition, plans are being developed for the site’s future use. These plans consider new facilities for sustainable urban heat generation. The specific technology that will be used in the future is still open.
Berlin aims to be climate neutral by 2050. The city also wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent compared to 1990. Vattenfall is actively pursuing a strategy. It aims to enable fossil-free electricity and heat supply within one generation. To achieve this, the heating plants and energy infrastructure in the city are being modernized. After the phase-out of brown coal in 2017 and the commissioning of two new highly efficient gas and steam turbine plants in Lichterfelde in 2019 and Marzahn in 2020, the next stage by 2030 will focus on replacing hard coal in heat generation.
The Bewag took over the power plant built by Elektricitätswerk Südwest AG in 1938. The dismantling of the high-pressure plant in 1945 reduced the power plant’s output to 25 MW. Nevertheless, Wilmersdorf played a key role in securing West Berlin’s power supply in the post-war years. After more than 50 years of operation, the original power plant was taken off the grid in 1964.
Construction of the modern plant began in 1974. The thermal output of the Kraftwerk Berlin-Wilmersdorf quickly rose to more than 300 megawatts. This was enough to reliably supply 50,000 households with district heating. In its 45 years of operation, the plant’s three gas turbines were started a total of 11,830 times. This illustrates its role as a peak load plant. The plant generated electricity and heat for Berliners during a total of 97,723 operating hours. It delivered well over six million megawatt hours of electricity.