From raw coal to energy from waste
Come with EEW Energy from Waste on a journey that has its beginning in 1873 in the form of BKB in shafts and galleries weakly lit by the light from carbide lamps. And finishes in the 21st century in activities across Europe in the field of environmental high-tech.
Experience the metamorphosis that starts with lumps of raw coal and ends with the raw material of waste and its intelligent exploitation.
1873-1915 The Pioneering Period
1873
BKB is founded in Berlin on January 26 with a share capital of 1.6 million taler.
1874
Development of the first opencast mine, "Trendelbusch"
1880
BKB begins to mechanize mining.
The "Treue" opencast mine opens.
1887
BKB evolves from a mining to a production company as it commissions the Treue briquette factory.
1888
Electricity generation begins - a generator is used for the first time in the "Prinz Wilhelm" underground mine.
1900
Annual coal production reaches a million tons for the first time.
1902
The process of consolidation spells the end of small operations. In the following years, BKB systematically buys up neighbouring mining companies.
1906-1910
The power plants, Emma, Treue and Harbke, go into operation. On June 22, 1908, the Duke of Braunschweig visits the Treue pit.
1915
Merger with Harbker Kohlenwerke AG. BKB becomes the largest mining operation in the Helmstedt-Staßfurt depression.
1925-1945 Opencast mining and war.
1925
Underground mining is shut down because unprofitable. Last underground mine was the South shaft at Prinz Wilhelm. Coal is now exclusively produced from opencast mines. In the 1960s there will be a further short period of underground mining for trial purposes.
1933
Start on preparation work for the Wulfersdorf opencast mine. The first bucket wheel excavator is deployed.
1935
The settlement of Neu-Büddenstedt is established further to the East as it is foreseeable that Büddenstedt will have to give way to the Treue opencast mine. The Harbke power station becomes a hub in the electricity industry. Lines are completed to Berlin and Lehrte.
1939
The Helmstedt transformer substation is built. The training workshop with its own mining school is created. This signals the beginning of planned apprenticeships.
1940-45
The indoor swimming pool at Alversdorf is built in the autumn of 1940. During the Second World War, BKB becomes a crucial company for the war effort of major political significance for energy.
Towards the end of the war, women, foreign workers and prisoners of war keep production going. Even during air raids, work continues under blackout in the briquette factories and carbonisation plant. On February 20, 1944, the administration building is hit by a bomb, killing eight employees.
After the war, the company is occupied by allied troops. BKB's operations are now in the British and Russian occupation zones.
1949-1969 Economic Miracle.
1949
WBG is set up. In the summer, BKB runs its first children's holiday camp in the Harz region. In the following years, they are held on the Baltic coast, in Allgäu, on Sylt and Norderney.
1952
When the border closes on May 26, BKB loses its Harbke power station, the Bismarck briquette factory and the eastern parts of the Wulfersdorf and Viktoria opencast mines.
1,400 employees from the Russian zone are no longer able to reach their place of work at BKB.
1954
The Offleben power station is commissioned to replace the lost Harbke station. The capacity is gradually increased from an initial 100 megawatts to 770 megawatts by 1973.
1963
The Alversdorf opencast mine is developed. Production comes to a close, however, at the Viktoria opencast mine.
1965
Construction starts on the Offleben II power station and the Para rubber works in Reinsdorf.
1967
The carbonisation plant is closed down. Its products could no longer be sold at a profit. It made more sense to generate electricity from lignite. Consequently the Offleben II power station came on stream.
1969
The brand name for BKB's briquettes is "Ross-Vollglut". An advertising film about the product wins a "Silver Lion" in Cannes.
1970-1989 Power generation as the core business
1971
Surprising increase in load: the fight between Joe Frazier and Cassius Clay causes a 20 megawatt power surge in the supply area. Thousands of viewers follow the live broadcast on TV at night.
1972
Power production tops three billion kilowatt hours for the first time. In June, the Buschhaus miners' residence is blown up. It has to give way to the Treue opencast mine. Today there is a power station by the same name very close by.
1973
BKB celebrates its centenary.
Development starts on the opencast mine in Helmstedt. Coal, natural gas and nuclear power gain in significance as a result of the oil crisis.
In November, the briquette factory has to run at full power again. It runs three special shifts to maintain supplies due to the energy crisis.
1974
Briquette production comes to an end on March 31 with the closure of the Treue factory. The power station of the same name is also shut down.
1976
The border post agreement is signed in the GDR's foreign office in East Berlin on May 19. It increases the mineable coal reserves in the Helmstedt opencast mine.
1978
Development starts on the Schöningen opencast mine.
1979
The forestry department plants its 6 millionth tree as part of its recultivation policy.
1980
Construction starts on the Buschhaus power station with the cornerstone for the furnace laid on July 16.
1982
Archaeological excavations start in the Schöningen opencast mine. Nobody suspects yet what sensational treasures will find the light of day.
1985
The commissioning of the Buschhaus power station on July 30 is a further milestone in the company's history. At the same time, the Offleben I power station is shut down.
1987
The flue gas desulphurisation plant for the Buschhaus power station is inaugurated on June 25. The first tank wagon is filled with liquid sulphur on September 8.
1989
BKB is awarded the German Environment Protection Prize for its flue gas desulphurisation. Overcoming the inner-German division shortly before the fall of the wall: from October 3, block C of the Offleben power station supplies electricity to the GDR in a relay operation.
1990-2003 Waste incineration as a core business
1990
Entry into the field of waste incineration The statutes of BKB AG are extended to incorporate the "construction and operation of disposal plants" as one of the objects of the business.
1991
The last coal is mined in the Alversdorf opencast mine in September.
The forestry department plants its 13 millionth tree as part of its recultivation policy. A memorial stone in the former Wulfersdorf opencast mine commemorates this event.
1993
Blocks A and B of the Offleben power station are switched off after the operating licence expires on March 31. In 26 years of service, 28.6 billion kilowatt hours of power were generated from 27.6 million tons of coal.
The Treue opencast mine stops production on October 20. This also sees the end of its train operation. Development of an integrated disposal concept.
1994
Inception of Terrakomp, the composting plant and building rubble recycling facility go into operation on the edge of the former opencast mine of Alversdorf on October 24. The compost processed is from the Helmstedt district.
1995
The companies in the BKB Group are given a new corporate design.
1996
The local government gives preliminary approval for the Thermal Pretreatment plant for residual waste (TRV). The cornerstone for the Buschhaus TRV is laid on October 28.
50 % stake in the Salzgitter Waste Disposal plant (EZS).
1997
The first alternative fuels are used in the Buschhaus power station.
1998
Buschhaus TRV commissioned.
1999
Norgam set up to operate the Alversdorf mineral landfill site near Schöningen. The regional energy company, ÜZH, is taken over by Avacon. Avacon is one of the largest regional energy service providers in Germany - set up on September 2, 1999. Helmstedt becomes Avacon's head office.
2000
The Buschhaus power station is certified as a waste management facility when TÜV Nord confirms BKB's capability of recycling sewage sludge economically and in an environmentally justifiable way.
2001
The thermal pretreatment plant for residual waste (TRV) becomes a recognised waste management facility.
Planning for third combustion line for TRV Buschhaus.
2002
TRV Buschhaus incinerates 1 million tons of residual waste.
Closure of the Offleben power station site and exhaustion of the Helmstedt opencast mine.
BKB transforms itself into a disposal company.
2003
BKB becomes the centre of excellence for the incineration of waste in the E.ON Group.
2004-today nationwide waste incineration.
2004
For the first time, Buschhaus produces more than 3 billion kWh of electricity.
TRV Buschhaus starts construction of a 3rd line and MHKW Rothensee a 3rd and 4th line.
Terrakomp turns 10 years old.
The TV film, Tsunami, is made on the site of the Offleben power station.
2005
BKB Hannover, MHKW Rothensee and the 3rd line at TRV Buschhaus go into operation.
MVA Stapelfeld becomes BKB Stapelfeld.
BKB Göppingen celebrates its 30th anniversary.
BKB receives an award from the Employment Agency for its training.
The ban on using waste for landfill leads to BKB's facilities working at full capacity.
Materials flow management ensures that the waste is intelligently distributed across the facilities.
2006
BKB's training achieves third place in the national competition "Creating employment - companies show responsibility". The prize was presented by Minister for Labour, Franz Münterfering.
Construction of the replacement fuel power station Großräschen (plant located in Sonne) underway since the beginning of the year.
BKB plans expansion: facilities at Heringen (Kassel) and Delfzijl (Holland) to be added to network.
2007
Federal Minister for the Environment, Gabriel, visits the TRV Buschhaus and comments favourably on the subject of "winning energy from waste as an environmentally compatible element in the energy mix".
The Regional Council of Kassel issues approval for the Heringen thermal power station, and waste incineration is also given the green light for Delfzijl in Holland.
Lines three and four and with them the entire facility of MHKW Rothensee are officially inaugurated.
BKB facilitates a dual study course in business administration in collaboration with the Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel Technical College.
2008
E.ON Energy from Waste (EEW) becomes the future name of BKB Aktiengesellschaft with its head office in Helmstedt/Lower Saxony. The traditional company BKB separates the divisions of power generation from lignite and waste incineration. This makes it possible to rename the company and take on the E.ON brand identity.
The waste incineration division is directly managed in future by E.ON Energie AG in Munich. Generating energy from the incineration of waste is a core business for the E.ON Group.
The generation of power from lignite is in future conducted by E.ON Kraftwerke Hannover GmbH.
EEW acquires the shares of Sotec and thus becomes Germany's largest waste incinerator.
2010
The waste incineration plants in Delfzijl (Holland), Leudelange (Luxemburg) and Schwedt are commissioned.
2012
EEW's shareholder, E.ON SE, signs a Joint Venture agreement with the Swedish financial investor, EQT. EQT takes a majority stake in EEW with 51 percent.
2013
The sale of the majority stake goes hand in hand with the company's divestment from the E.ON Group. E.ON Energy from Waste AG becomes EEW Energy from Waste GmbH.
EEW Energy from Waste is given a completely new corporate design.
2014
EEW Energy from Waste receives a new member of the group and acquires IHKW Andernach.
2015
EQT takes over the remaining 49% stake from E.ON. This means EEW is wholly owned by EQT. EEW takes over Stavenhagen Energy from Waste plant.
2016
Beijing Enterprises Holdings Limited takes over 100% of shares in EEW Energy from Waste from EQT.
2017
EEW Energy from Waste is facing a new challenge and developing solutions for groundbreaking sewage sludge recycling.
2019
The third line of the waste incineration plant in Delfzijl (Netherlands) is going into operation. This means that a total of 576,000 tons of waste can be thermally treated each year in Delfzijl.
2020
Before Olaf Lies, Dutch Minister for the Environment, Energy, Building and Climate Protection, the foundation was laid for the Lower Saxony´s first sewage sludge mono-incineration palnt. The plant at Helmstedt will be the first of its kind in the EEW group and, when it begins operation in 2021, will be able to thermally treat around 20 percent of the Lower Saxony´s sewage sludge.
The waste incineration plant in Leudelange (Luxembourg) is becoming more efficient and in future will provide not only power but also distance heating for the industrial area of "Ban de Gasperich".