How can one of the largest coal-fired power plants become a future-oriented industrial site?
Frimmersdorf power plant
De Zwarte Hond developed the urban development plan for the transformation of the Frimmersdorf power plant site. The exceptional location in the Rhenish mining district, close to the metropolitan areas of Düsseldorf and Cologne, in the direct proximity to the natural area of the Erft floodplains, and with the identity-forming building stock make the Frimmersdorf power plant a unique location in Europe for future-oriented and sustainable commercial development. The power plant site impresses today's visitors with its spaciousness and the special scale of the plant buildings and technical facilities. Long, straight streets and fascinating industrial buildings stand in an exciting relation with each other. Even though a large part of the technical facilities will be demolished, the future digital park will be a very special place thanks to the interplay of space and size, as well as the combination of old and new. The urban development framework plan divides the area into five sub-areas, which differ, specifically in terms of their temporal availability, the possible use structure, scale and existing buildings and monumental elements. The central power station building with the 550 m long machine hall is the starting point of the urban development. It comprises the power plant blocks A-N. From a heritage perspective, power plant blocks A-D are particularly prototypical for the technological development of the early phase of industrial coal-fired power generation. In addition to these blocks, which will largely be preserved, the focus of the project is to be able to show the entire "path of coal".
The urban development concept was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action based on a resolution of the German Bundestag, as well as by Starke Projekt GmbH, co-financed by the Ministry for Home Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Building and Digitalization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
data
- Location
- Grevenbroich, DE
- Size
- 68 ha
- Client
- Stadt Grevenbroich, Starke projekte GmbH
- Discipline
- Research, Urban Design
- Program
- Master Planning, Offices, Urbanization Strategy
- Period
- 2024
- Status
- In Development
Frimmersdorf
Kraftwerk
1925/26: Construction of the Frimmersdorf I power station by AEG with a planned output of 60 MW. © RWE picture archive
1953: Construction of the Frimmersdorf II power plant as successor with 2 units (2×100 MW). © RWE picture archive
The Frimmersdorf power plant and the Rhenish mining area
The coal phase-out in 2030 will entail major changes for the Rhenish mining basin. With the power plants in Frimmersdorf, Neurath and Niederaußem, the developments in and around Garzweiler and the large number of areas used for coal mining, the city of Grevenbroich is at the centre of the change processes.
The landscape, and therefore also the economic value chain of both the region and Grevenbroich city, will change in the coming years. The steaming cooling towers will disappear, the machine halls will be partially demolished, the opencast mines will become huge lakes, and new industries will settle on the former power plant sites.
The Frimmersdorf power plant, which has already been decommissioned, was one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the world. It is thus to be transformed into a forward-looking industrial site over the next few years.
View of a decommissioned power plant
Decommissioned cooling towers
Long, straight existing roads
Coal bunker
Interior of the hall
Existing vegetation
Powerplant frimmersdorf today
The path of coal
The landscape in the Rhineland mining area is constantly changing. Slag heaps, open-cast mines, and the chimneys and cooling towers of the existing power plants characterized the lignite mining area, yet in the future, a lake landscape will be created here. The establishment of new industry and the expansion of the infrastructure offers an opportunity to create attractive and sustainable jobs in the future.
The path of coal
Structural concept
The structural plan
The power plant site impresses today’s visitors with its spatial expanse and the special scale of the power plant buildings and technical facilities.
Long, straight streets and fascinating industrial buildings stand in an exciting relation with each other. Even though a large part of the technical facilities will be demolished, the future digital park will be a very special place thanks to the interplay of expanse and size, as well as the combination of old and new. The urban development plan divides the area into five subareas, which differ specifically in their time availability, possible use structure, scale, and predisposition of existing buildings and monumental elements.
Identity-forming multifunctional public center
The six cooling towers, the ash settling basins, the cooling water pump house, the up to 50 m high power plant blocks, and the existing pipeline routes form an impressive backdrop for a lively and public center that will receive supra-regional recognition. The areas around the existing structures and buildings, and the adjacent new buildings are open to various public and private uses. Here, industrial heritage meets the future. Self-driving “People Movers” can take visitors or employees through the power plant site. The public center offers plenty of space in an industrial-historical setting for events, lunch breaks or after-work drinks.
2035+
2024
2025-2028
2030
Five sub-areas
The north, west and east areas will be dismantled from 2025 onwards, and are expected to be ready for subsequent use by the end of the 2020s. A new data center will be built in the northern area (XL). South of this area the landscape park will function as a free space connection between Erft and Vollrather Höhe.
Several listed buildings and structures will be preserved on the west side. The centrally located existing structures, which are worthy of preservation from a heritage perspective, are to form the public center in the future. The areas around the existing buildings and structures are open for public and private use. With the monument trail, implemented by the LVR, the power plant site represents the path of coal. In addition, the western area offers flexible large development areas (M-L) as well as smaller plots along the Erft floodplain (S).
The central power plant building will be preserved and reused. IT-NRW is opening a data center in parts of the central power plant building, and the machine hall is being developed as a workplace for the digital industry. Further data centers can be set up in the areas of near the former boiler houses.
The eastern area is considered a service area with parking facilities (mobility buildings) in the immediate vicinity of the central power station building.
RWE will continue to use some of the southern area for operational purposes until the early 2030s. Existing halls are to be retained and will continue to offer suitable space for various user groups in the future.
