HKW West is a 138.5 MW coal power station in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is operated by Volkswagen AG. Based on reported annual generation of 1,625 GWh, it can supply roughly 464k homes. It ranks #192 of 1,442 Germany power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1985, it is around 41 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 20.6% of Germany's electricity; the national grid averages 330 gCO₂/kWh (59.1% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1005818.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 138.5 MW, HKW West is below the median coal plant in Germany (296.2 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Germany coal capacity
- 0.2% of 64,920 MW across 124 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 59 of 117 dated coal plants in Germany are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Volkswagen AG.
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 52.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 36% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 72/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #73 largest coal power plant of 124 in Germany by capacity.
Germany has 124 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 64,920 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Wolfsburg West power station · Gas · 288 MW · Lower Saxony
- HKW Nord · Coal · 61.5 MW · Lower Saxony
- Wolfsburg North power station · Gas · 133 MW · Lower Saxony
- Schandelah · Solar · 8.7 MW · Lower Saxony
- Braunschweig Nord power station · Gas · 25 MW · Lower Saxony
- Weferlingen · Solar · 4.5 MW · Saxony-Anhalt
Location
Coordinates 52.4422, 10.7645 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is HKW West?
HKW West is a 138.5 MW coal power plant in Lower Saxony, Germany, commissioned in 1985.
How much electricity does HKW West generate?
HKW West generates about 1,625 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates HKW West?
HKW West is operated by Volkswagen AG.