| Schwarze Pumpe power station | |
|---|---|
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| Official name | Kraftwerk Schwarze Pumpe |
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Schwarze Pumpe district in Spremberg |
| Coordinates | |
| Status | In operation |
| Commission date | 1997 |
| Owner(s) | Vattenfall |
| Power station information | |
| Primary fuel | Coal |
| Generation units | 2 |
| Power generation information | |
| Maximum capacity | 1600 MW |
Schwarze Pumpe power station (German: Kraftwerk Schwarze Pumpe translated:Black Pump Power Station) is a modern lignite-fired power station in the "Schwarze Pumpe" (Black Pump) district in Spremberg, Germany consisting of 2 x 800 megawatts (MW) units. It came into service in 1997-98 and was built by Siemens. It is owned by the utility Vattenfall.[1]
The steam generator is 161 metres (528 ft) high and has an observation deck on its top.
On 26 May 2006 in the Schwarze Pumpe industrial area, construction work started on the world's first "carbon-dioxide free" oxyfuel test facility in pilot scale. This is a facility with a thermal power of 30 MW, following the so-called Oxyfuel method to burn the coal with pure Oxygen and Nitrogen-free exhaust. The resulting carbon dioxide will be compressed and liquefied. It will then be put into geologic formations and stored so as not to contribute to global warming. Aim of the plant is not to produce electricity but steam which is then used by the nearby industry. The facility will be commissioned in summer 2008 and serve as a prototype for larger power plants. Environmentalists have criticized the facility, because of the high level of carbon dioxide it emits in comparison with other fossil fuels. In their opinion a greater impact on the reduction of global warming could have been obtained for the same money through investments in more on renewable energies, and efficient power production and use.[2]
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Kraftwerk_Schwarze_Pumpe Schwarze Pumpe power station] at Wikimedia Commons