Secure power supply

In the first year of the war in Ukraine, there was much discussion about the risk of a natural gas shortage and the danger of widespread blackouts. Although the worst-case scenario did not materialize in Germany, the uncertain situation made one thing clear: for K+S, it is advisable not to rely solely on the public supply, but to prepare for exceptional situations.

Several measures were examined and implemented, for example, to deal with the associated consequences in the event of a gas shortage. One component is the installation of powerful emergency power generators, which immediately take over the supply of a plant in the event of a sudden power failure.

"These units are always on standby and can be started up at any time when needed," says project manager Alexander Röll from the Electrical Engineering department of the Central Unit for Surface and Energy Technology. These are systems with solid motors and durable technology with a life expectancy of up to 40 years. "This is a sustainable investment in the safety of our employees and our systems," says Röll. He is pleased that the systems are currently being delivered and installed at all sites after a long preparation time: "The powerful units can now be seen everywhere and the transportation is truly gigantic."

"We are currently in the critical phase of delivery and installation," says Matthias Lückert, Head of Energy Technology at the Werra plant. The first of four units was already delivered and installed at the end of May and is now at the Merkers site. It will supply the Merkers and Unterbreizbach sites with electricity in the event of a blackout.

A heavy-duty transporter delivered the 65-tonne middle section of the emergency power generator, which is being assembled into a huge container at the construction site with the help of mobile heavy-duty cranes. The impressive biturbo diesel engine has 16 cylinders, a displacement of 255 liters and produces an output of more than 5000 hp or 4.45 megavolt amperes (MVA). In return, however, it also consumes 870 liters of fuel per hour, although continuous operation at the Werra plant is not planned anyway. 

Another unit was delivered to the Wintershall site at the end of June. Two units of this size are planned for the Hattorf factory, which will be installed at the beginning of July and during the second half of the year. "This will enable us to shut down and flush the factories in an orderly manner in the event of a power failure, ensure the evacuation of the mines and also guarantee water retention at all times," explains Lückert. The tailings pile operations in particular require a reliable power supply to handle the wastewater produced.

One of the largest emergency power centers of its kind is currently being built at the Zielitz plant with three generators. They have an impressive total output of 9 MVA and can be operated with both diesel and natural gas. "This provides the plant with a flexible and reliable energy supply," explains Ingo Nieke, Head of Power Plant at the Zielitz site.

In addition to supplying power in an emergency, the new power units in Zielitz will also perform other crucial tasks. They will make it possible to reduce the amount of electricity drawn from the public grid, especially in times of high energy demand. "This means that the plant has to buy less electricity from external suppliers, which not only saves costs but also reduces the burden on the public grid," says Nieke.

Another important aspect is the provision of balancing energy. The fluctuating feed-in of renewable energies such as wind and solar power often leads to voltage fluctuations in the grid. In such cases, the emergency power generators can step in and supply the additional energy required to stabilize the grid. This service is known as balancing energy, for which K+S receives remuneration from the grid operators.

Nieke: "The bottom line is that the site is well equipped to react flexibly and efficiently to various scenarios with the help of the emergency power center and at the same time contribute to the stability and reliability of our energy supply. This not only secures our own operations, but also makes an important contribution to the stability of the entire power grid."

A large emergency power generator was also delivered to the Neuhof-Ellers plant in June. Three other K+S sites are also being equipped: the Bad Salzdetfurth and Bergmannssegen-Hugo plants as well as the MSW-Chemie explosives factory in Langelsheim. Several small generators will also be added, some of which are mobile, to safeguard the Siegfried-Giesen, Niedersachsen-Riedel, and Salzdetfurth sites of the Inactive Plants unit, explains project manager Röll: "Together with other measures, this will ensure that the K+S sites will always be supplied with electricity in an emergency."