Highlights

Europe’s appetite for energy continues to grow. With new processes and higher temperatures, power stations are becoming increasingly efficient.

Text: Claudia Sigel, Photos: Ralf Bille

The energy industry is faced with great challenges. Experts anticipate a massive rise in Europe‘s energy needs. Demand for electricity is expected to rise by around 35 percent by 2030. It is obvious from this forecast alone that new power stations will have to be built. Additionally, in Germany in particular, many existing stations look back on a long service life, while the country also has plans to abandon nuclear energy. Consequently the current need for new power generation is several times greater than in previous years.

For Bilfinger Berger Power Services – under the roof of which renowned companies such as Babcock Borsig Services (BBS) and Essener Hochdruck Rohrleitungsbau (EHR) are gathered – this means its market volume is set to double. In total, new building projects currently being planned for the European Union add up to a total capacity of around 130,000 megawatts – more electricity than is generated in all of France. Power generators in Germany are presently proposing to expand and build new stations on a scale in excess of 20,000 megawatts. The majority of these stations will be coal- or lignite-fired. Besides building new plants, a large number of modernization projects are pending. In many cases, even after thirty years in service, extensive upgrading of components such as coal mills, burners or steam generators is still well worth while.