The failed Thermoselect waste treatment plant in Karlsruhe’s Rheinhafen is being demolished after causing roughly 400 million euros in losses; demolition has been underway since late July 2026 and is scheduled to finish by May 2027.
Thermoselect was a high- temperature gasification technology intended as an environmentally advanced alternative to conventional waste incineration. It aimed to process household and commercial waste (planned capacity around 225,000- 250,000 tonnes per year), generate gas, electricity, heat and leave a usable granulate residue.
The plant was built in the late 1990s (construction cost alone about 144 million euros) by Badenwerk (later absorbed into EnBW) and entered operation in 1999.
It never worked reliably.
Persistent technical problems (including equipment failures, leaks, and inability to consistently meet emissions targets), underperformance relative to design capacity, and declining waste volumes made it uneconomic.
EnBW shut it down in 2004 after total project losses of around 400 million euros (some contemporary estimates were slightly higher). The facility then stood idle for more than 20 years as an industrial ruin and “lost place”.
Demolition (Rückbau) began at the end of July 2026 with internal strip- out work, followed by heavy machinery removing the distinctive, red- roofed structure.
As of late October 2026 (SWR reporting), significant parts of the building had already been taken down. The process is expected to remove more than 50,000 tonnes of concrete and 5,000- 6,000 tonnes of steel, including the high-temperature reactors and foundations, with completion targeted for May 2027.
Demolition costs are estimated in the low single- digit millions of euros. The cleared site is planned as a preparation, storage and logistics area supporting further development of the adjacent Rheinhafen- Dampfkraftwerk (RDK) site, including a potential hydrogen- capable gas power plant (RDK9).
This matches the headline details and the cited SWR coverage from 27 October 2026 (with earlier July 2026 reporting on the start of works).
The plant is a well- documented case of a 1990s “prestige” waste- to- energy project that became a major financial and technical failure for EnBW, Badenwerk.
A family in the Pinneberg district (near Hamburg) had their electricity contract terminated by the green provider Grüüün after installing a heat pump and buying an electric car, which pushed their annual consumption above the tariff’s limit.
What happened
- The six-person household switched to a heat pump (replacing gas heating) and acquired an EV, causing their yearly electricity use to rise to roughly 23,000 kWh.
- Their Grüüün contract capped consumption at 20,000 kWh per year. Exceeding this by about 15% triggered an extraordinary termination right in the contract terms.
- The provider gave only six days’ notice in October 2026.
- The family quickly found a new supplier offering a discounted heat- pump tariff and avoided falling into the more expensive basic supply (Grundversorgung).
Context and wider issue
Many electricity tariffs (especially cheaper or green ones from smaller providers) include hidden or explicit annual consumption ceilings.
Crossing the limit can allow the supplier to terminate the contract.
Limits vary widely:
- Grüüün: 20,000 kWh in this case.
- Some larger providers (e.g., Vattenfall or local utilities) set higher thresholds.
- Others (such as certain EnBW commercial tariffs) can be as low as 10,000 kWh.
The case illustrates a practical side- effect of household electrification (heat pumps and EVs): higher consumption can clash with older or restrictive contract clauses even when customers are trying to act in line with energy-transition goals.
Sources align with the cited reporting: Hamburger Abendblatt (24 October 2026) first covered the family’s experience; Chip followed on 27–28 October 2026.
After 26 years of EEG- based solar subsidies in Germany, the industry faces a potential crisis as fixed long- term feed- in tariffs for new small systems are set to end.
Background
Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), introduced in 2000, guaranteed fixed feed- in tariffs for solar (and other renewables) for 20 years.
This drove rapid PV expansion.
By late 2026, transmission system operators projected EEG financing needs of about €17.52 billion for 2027, with roughly €9.6 billion attributable to photovoltaics (covered via the federal budget taxpayer funds rather than the earlier EEG surcharge on consumers).
Many older plants (especially those commissioned in 2006) lose their fixed 20-year EEG payments at the end of 2026.
They then receive only a market- value- based residual payment (Jahresmarktwert Solar minus a marketing deduction, which rises notably for 2027), available until at least 2032 under current rules.
Planned changes from 2027 (EEG reform draft)
The government draft (still under parliamentary discussion as of early November 2026, with a possible vote in mid- November) aims to phase out the classic fixed feed- in tariff for new installations:
- No more 20- year fixed tariffs for most new systems.
- Small systems get a limited transitional payment (typically up to 36 months, at a reduced rate) before mandatory direct marketing (selling on the market via a marketer).
- Eligibility for the transition shrinks over time (e.g., higher kW thresholds in 2027, lower later; eventually none for the smallest systems).
- Additional elements discussed include feed- in power limits (e.g., ~50% of capacity for some rooftop systems) to encourage storage and self-consumption, and a shift toward contracts for difference or market- oriented support for larger projects.
Systems commissioned by 31 December 2026 are generally grandfathered under the existing 20- year fixed tariff rules.
Industry reaction and risks
The solar industry (including the Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft) has warned of a sharp drop in demand for new small rooftop systems, tens of thousands of potential job losses in installation and related trades, and setbacks to expansion targets. Recent insolvencies in the sector are cited as early signs of strain.
Critics argue the sector remains heavily dependent on guaranteed revenues despite decades of support and falling technology costs.
Supporters of the reform emphasize cost control, market integration, and that many small systems are already viable via self- consumption.
The reform is not yet final law (parliamentary process and EU state-aid approval are still pending), so details could shift.
Current 2026 feed- in rates for new building- mounted systems (e.g., ~7.70 ct/kWh for partial feed- in up to 10 kW in the second half of the year) remain available for installations completed this year.
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