EEW Buys Land To Secure Future Of Buschhaus Site In Helmstedt

Key Takeaways

• EEW is buying extra land at its Buschhaus site in Helmstedt from Helmstedter Revier GmbH; contract signed 3 July 2026.
• The deal secures the site long-term and adds flexibility for future use.
• Possible projects include energy plants and tech for CO₂ or phosphate-rich sewage ash.
• Demolition of the former lignite power plant, closed in 2020, is next.
• Local leaders hailed it as a milestone for the region’s structural change.

Plant operator EEW is to acquire additional land at its TRV Buschhaus site in the Helmstedter Revier, together with regional partners. The purchase in Lower Saxony in Germany is intended to secure the site for the long term. In addition, it will create more flexibility for its future use.

The land was previously owned by Helmstedter Revier GmbH (HSR). The purchase contract was fully negotiated and signed on 3 July 2026.

A Long-Standing Commitment To The Region

The Helmstedter Revier has been significant for the EEW group for many years. The Buschhaus site represents both the region’s industrial tradition and its shift towards new, sustainable uses. The planned land purchase underlines EEW’s long-term commitment to the site and the region.

EEW-CEO Timo Poppe said the Helmstedter Revier was where the company’s roots lay. He added that these roots were now enabling further growth on the newly acquired land. He pointed to Lower Saxony’s first sewage sludge mono-incineration plant, built by EEW at the site in 2023, as a visible sign of the region’s structural change. Furthermore, he described the additional land as opening new opportunities and called the purchase an important milestone in the company’s strategic development.

Poppe added that the Helmstedter Revier was a site steeped in tradition and central to EEW’s identity. He said fully developed industrial land with rail access, proximity to the motorway and a capable power grid connection had become rare in Germany. Moreover, the Helmstedter Revier offered good conditions for future development along EEW’s value chain. Possible projects included energy-sector plants as well as sustainable technologies for handling CO₂ or phosphate-containing ash from sewage sludge treatment.

Demolition of Former Power Plant Next

Which projects will be implemented is to be clarified over the coming months. The next step is the demolition of the Buschhaus lignite-fired power plant, which was permanently shut down in 2020. HSR continues to fulfil its obligations for post-mining site care at the location.

Thoralf Klehm, managing director of HSR, said the land sale to EEW marked the start of a new chapter for the Buschhaus site and the Helmstedter Revier. He explained that HSR would continue to support the development of the former mining land in close coordination with local and regional partners. HSR’s main focus would be on the mining and water-management design of the remaining site as part of its redevelopment. Additionally, he added that active land management would also allow HSR to help shape the transformation of the former mining land into a green energy landscape.

Wittich Schobert, mayor of Helmstedt, called the land purchase a significant economic development for the town. He noted that there had been no major economic changes at the site since the power plant’s closure and the end of its so-called safety reserve period. According to him, the town was looking to EEW with expectation and hoped new economic prospects would develop at the site. Further, he pledged the town’s active support for the process. He also praised the continuing cooperation with HSR, describing it as an important player in the Helmstedter Revier going forward.

Gerhard Radeck, district administrator (Landrat) of Helmstedt, said the joint efforts for a successful structural transformation in the Helmstedter Revier had taken a decisive step forward. This, he noted, made a concrete and viable future path for the Helmstedter Revier industrial site visible for the first time. He called the planned land purchase a strong signal for the Helmstedt business location. It showed that companies such as the EEW group believed in the region’s long-term future. Moreover, he said they were prepared to take responsibility for its further development.

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