DB Cargo transports coal for STEAG to Saarland

DB Cargo is bringing coal by freight train to the Saarland for the power plant operator STEAG. The Bexbach power plant near Neunkirchen is one of the first large power plants to benefit from the new “priority corridors” for supply-relevant freight trains. With the coal trains to various power plant locations in Germany, DB Cargo is making an important contribution to securing energy supply.

(Mainz/Bexbach) The transports utilize the “priority corridors” established by the federal government. The federal government has stipulated in a legal regulation that these freight trains receive priority on specifically defined transport routes and for concrete public energy supply in the rail network. This procedure is regulated by the Federal Network Agency. The Parliamentary State Secretary and Logistics Commissioner of the Federal Government, Oliver Luksic, received one of the first coal trains in the Saarland together with Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, Board Member for Freight Transport of DB AG.

In addition, DB Cargo is currently modernizing more than 1,000 coal wagons at full speed. Some of these were previously out of service and are now being reactivated and retrofitted with whisper brakes.

For the Bexbach location, DB Cargo has also created a new supply chain for ammonia through the important single wagon network. Ammonia is imported from seaports and is used for flue gas cleaning at coal-fired power plants. This directly benefits the environmentally friendly operation of the power plant in the region. Weekly deliveries of individual wagons on the secure rail make the recommissioning possible in the first place.

Energy transports are prioritized

Oliver Luksic: “We have created the legal framework to be prepared for situations like this. Specifically, it allows us to prioritize energy transports. This is necessary because our rail network is already heavily utilized. Therefore, failures or delays cannot be reliably excluded. At the same time, we can only succeed together in ensuring the supply of coal-fired power plants. The locations in the Saarland are particularly important for the energy security of the country. Therefore, we rely on close cooperation with logistics and the energy industry, such as with DB Cargo and STEAG, to provide planning security and implement pragmatic solutions.”

Supply of power plants is a new challenge

Dr. Sigrid Nikutta: “DB takes responsibility for energy supply in Germany. We are operating as well, as quickly, and as much as possible. Supplying the power plants with hard coal is — like many things at the moment — a new challenge that was not foreseeable a few months ago. DB Cargo once again demonstrates how quickly we can respond to such changes with a strong rail freight transport. Thanks to the European network of DB Cargo, we also supply additional power plant locations like here in Bexbach in the Saarland.”

Photo: © DB AG / Image source (from l. to r.): Michael Lux, Head of STEAG Power Plant Bexbach, Sigrid Nikutta, CEO of DB Cargo AG, Board Member for Freight Transport DB AG, Oliver Luksic, Parliamentary State Secretary BMDV