Westfalen power station, Coal power station in Hamm, Germany.
Westfalen power station is a decommissioned coal facility in the industrial district of Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia. The sprawling site consists of several large buildings, massive boiler houses, chimneys, and turbine halls that still dominate the grounds.
The first construction phase entered service in 1963 and helped meet the growing demand for electricity in West Germany. Later expansions in the following years made the plant one of the larger producers in the region, before it was gradually shut down between 2011 and 2021.
The site bears the name Westfalen, referring to the region long shaped by mining and heavy industry. Visitors today can see the decommissioned facilities that once provided jobs for many families in Hamm.
The site is located in the industrial district and can be viewed from the outside, with visitors able to observe the massive structures and chimneys from various angles. Plans for future uses such as energy storage are under development, but for now the grounds remain largely inactive.
After closure, one part of the facility remains in use as a phase shifter to ensure voltage stability in the power grid, without generating electricity itself. Additionally, the operator plans to build one of Germany's largest battery storage systems on the site, with a capacity of 600 MW.
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