Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park celebrates its 70th anniversary

The Schwarze Pumpe industrial site has shaped Lusatia for seven decades. To mark its 70th anniversary, the site in Spremberg is opening its doors to the public this weekend (August 30), as announced by the industrial park. Over 20 companies are inviting visitors to take a look at their work, technology and future plans.

What began in 1955 with the construction of a coal refining combine developed into one of the largest industrial complexes in the GDR. Today, the industrial park has more than 120 companies and around 5,000 employees.

According to tradition, the name "Schwarze Pumpe" goes back to the time of the Thirty Years' War, according to Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG (Leag). According to the story, inhabitants of a Slavic settlement painted the pump of their inn black - a symbol of the plague at the time - to scare off marauding Swedes. The invaders then moved on, and the unusual name has remained to this day.

Structural change becomes tangible

The Schwarze Pumpe development makes the structural change in the region tangible, according to the industrial park. The briquette factory at the site has been on Brandenburg's list of monuments since the beginning of the year. According to the state government, monument protection should not restrict the plant's prospects. The Schwarze Pumpe lignite-fired power plant is to remain in operation until the final phase-out of coal-fired power generation at the end of 2038.

"We urgently need a replacement for this secured capacity. That is why we have been working flat out for months on new construction projects for our power plant sites," said Leag CEO Adolf Roesch recently. A so-called H2-ready power plant with an installed capacity of around 2,000 megawatts is currently being planned at the Schwarze Pumpe site. This gas-fired power plant is to be designed for later operation with hydrogen.