Karlsruhe City Council approves EnBW RDK9 gas power plant

The Karlsruhe City Council has approved the next steps for the construction of the RDK9 steam turbine power plant at the Rhine port. The project is planned by Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW).

The decision has faced significant criticism and local opposition. During the council session on July 28, a member of the Karlsruhe Resistance Collective staged a protest by gluing their hand to a table.

Critics argue that the project lacks a long-term vision for climate neutrality, noting that the current urban development contract does not include a binding end date for natural gas operations, a CO2 cap, or requirements to repurpose the site for green technologies like heat pumps or storage in the future.