The Westfalen power plant is a large coal-fired power plant of RWE Power AG (until 2000 VEW) in Hamm-Schmehausen at the eastern end of the Datteln-Hamm canal. The power plant consists of a total of three units with a total net capacity of 588 megawatts.
The power plant began operation in 1963 with two 152-megawatt units (A and B). In 1969, another unit (C) with a net capacity of 284 megawatts was added to the site. While units A and B were still designed for mixed firing with oil, unit C was designed initially for the sole use of hard coal.
Meanwhile, all units are decommissioned but still considered as a system-relevant and to be handled as spare for the national grid reserve.
March 2021, 1/12
May 2021, 2-4/12
In May I took a trip round the power plant to take a view from different angles. The first one is a view from a bridge near Südfelde over the Datteln-Hamm canal looking East over the industrial harbor of Uentrop towards the power plant.
The second view is looking North from the woodlands of Eilmsen. It is featuring a „lost“ bridge from Strecke 77, a planned Reichsautobahn that was to connect the industrial Ruhr-area with Upper Silesia, never finished during the turmoil of Second World War.
The third view is looking South from the floodplain of river Lippe across green meadows and guided by a row of willow trees.
