Once-operational Coal Power Plant in Moorburg Transformed
Let's Blow Up Moorburg's Old Coal Plant - And Build a Green Future!
Tear down this wall, Moorburg-style! It's time to cheers to progress as we wave goodbye to our old, coal-chugging buddy 👋. The implosion of the Moorburg power plant's iconic chimney sent shockwaves throughout the city 💥. Boom! Just after 10 am, following a loud bang, the chimney (we had a love-hate relationship with it) broke and fell, exactly as planned, into the planned safety zone 💥.
The preparations for this grand explosion took place until Saturday evening. To topple the steel chimney structure, the team strategically destabilized it at crucial points. In total, 28 charges were placed inside hollow, water-filled steel carriers at four key points. After detonating a whopping 160 kg of explosives, the chimney crumbled in the desired direction. It wasn't all chaos—the neighbors with sensitive ears were warned, and the local emergency services, including THW, DRK, and police, were all on standby 🚔.
The action was carried out by none other than the demolition wizards from Hagedorn and the Hamburg Energy Works. About 100 people were involved in the operation 🤩.
Economy Senator Melanie Leonhard (SPD) and her Senate colleague Jens Kerstan (Greens) were there, front-row, to witness the spectacle. For them, the upcoming 100 MW electrolyzer for hydrogen production, which will be built on the Moorburg site, is a vital piece in the puzzle for Hamburg's future renewable energy supply 🌱.
Now let's talk about the mess we made. The rubble, of course, will be crushed and recycled. The gypsum storage and associated buildings, as well as parts of the ash silo, have already been demolished 🧱. The large coal storage areas and the actual boiler house are still on the demolition list 🌾.
Remember that time when the Moorburg plant officially closed down in 2023 as part of the transition to cleaner energy sources 🌍? Well, it looks like the site is being transformed into a hub for green hydrogen production—just like toting a sparkling clean slate. The demolition was carefully timed to ensure minimum environmental impact and safety 🌱.
Sources:[1] Transition from coal to cleaner energy, explosives, and demolition of structures at Moorburg. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2025, from https://www.moorburg-project.de
The demolition of Moorburg's old coal plant marked a significant milestone in the transition of the industry towards renewable-energy sources, with Hamburger Energiewerk and Hagedorn leading the operation. Now, the focus shifts to building a 100 MW electrolyzer for hydrogen production, a crucial component in Hamburg's future green energy business, as per the vision of Economy Senator Melanie Leonhard (SPD) and her Senate colleague Jens Kerstan (Greens). Once the coal storage areas and the boiler house are demolished, the site will be entirely transformed, serving as a hub for the production of green hydrogen, renewing the city's energy landscape with finance backing this transition.
