Overview
- State utility BEW, grid operator 50Hertz, and Stromnetz Berlin began construction at the Berlin‑Mitte heat plant, with commissioning targeted by late 2028 and a budget of up to €75 million funded mainly by 50Hertz.
- The unit is a large electric boiler that will absorb excess wind and solar power during grid bottlenecks and convert it into hot water for the city’s district heating network instead of shutting renewables off.
- BEW says the 120 MW system can heat about 30,000 homes in winter and supply hot water for roughly 360,000 in summer, cutting around 76,000 tonnes of CO2 each year in its early years by displacing gas.
- Connecting the new load requires a nearby node upgrade by Stromnetz Berlin and power delivered via an underground east–west transmission route now under construction.
- 50Hertz expects avoided payouts for curtailed generation to pay back the investment in about five years, and points to roughly 13 similar sites in its area as proof the approach scales.