Niederaussem Power Station
| Niederaussem Power Station | |
|---|---|
Niederaussem Power Station in 2011 | |
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Niederaussem, Bergheim |
| Coordinates | 50°59′44″N 06°40′09″E / 50.99556°N 6.66917°E |
| Commission date | 1965 |
| Owner | RWE Power |
| Operator |
|
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Lignite |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3 |
| Units decommissioned | 6 |
| Nameplate capacity | 2,220 MW |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
Niederaussem Power Station is a lignite-fired power station in the Niederaussem district of Bergheim, in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis of North Rhine‑Westphalia, Germany. It is owned by RWE. The plant consists of nine units, constructed between 1963 and 2003. It is the largest lignite-fired power plant currently operating in Germany, with a total net capacity of 2,220 MW.
In 2018 the plant was estimated to be among the ten most carbon-polluting coal-fired power stations in the world, emitting 27.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Its emissions intensity (kgCO2 per MWh generated) is estimated to be 45.1% higher than the average for all fossil-fuelled plants in Germany. According to the Dirty Thirty study issued by WWF in 2007, Niederaussem Power Station was the second-worst power station in Europe for mercury emissions, owing to its reliance on lignite. It is also among the world's least carbon-efficient power stations, producing approximately 1.2 kg of CO2 per kilowatt-hour generated as of 2007.