Vattenfall plans to convert from coal to biomass power

Reuters has reported that Swedish power company Vattenfall is considering converting to gas or biomass to fuel its German power stations.

Currently fuelled by coal, the company is thinking about switching to more renewable fuels as other utility companies in the country are preparing for a government deadline that will phase out coal altogether.     

According to Reuters, Vattenfall operate 2.9 gigawatts (GW) of coal fired power stations in Germany. This includes the 1.7GW Moorburg site that opened in 2015 and that supplies 80% of Hamburg’s electricity.

Vattenfall board member Tuomo Hatakka told Reuters it plans to “examine alternatives for how to shape Moorburg’s future, for example through the use of biomass. We are at a very early stage of this process.”

Hatakka also added that the company considered the shutting down of its Reuter West and Moabit coal fired stations no later than 2030. If it were to do so, Vattenfall would partially replace them with industrial waste heat, waste burning, biomass, power-to-heat and gas technology.