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Helmstedt celebrates victory in the ideas competition for the energy transition!
On June 13, 2025, plans for transformation after brown coal mining were awarded in the Helmstedt district.
Helmstedt celebrates victory in the ideas competition for the energy transition!
On June 13, 2025, the celebratory award ceremony for the ideas competition “Transformation – from the lignite mining area to the green energy landscape” took place in Helmstedt. The competition, initiated by the Buschhaus planning association and the Greater Braunschweig regional association, aimed to develop innovative solutions for renaturation and structural realignment in the region after brown coal mining. The winning team, consisting of “Glück Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH” and “Laboratory for Urban Places and Processes” from Stuttgart, was honored for a clear design of a landscape park that will enable attractive and economically successful use of the approximately 4,500 hectare area in the Helmstedt district in the future. [regionalheute.de].
The minister not only emphasized the opportunities that this transformation process offers the region, but also highlighted the importance of competition for future development. Their appeal to combine the region's old roots with new uses was very well received. The coal phase-out is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for a sustainable and green future.
The transformation of the Helmstedt district
The Helmstedter district is one of several German districts that are undergoing fundamental changes. The last coal was mined here in the Schöningen opencast mine in 2016. The region is now to be transformed into a new green energy landscape, with the flooding of Lake Lappwald being planned. This marks the beginning of a transformation that could already be observed in other areas such as the Lausitz or the Rhenish area. bdew.de states that the Lusatian Lake District has produced one of the largest artificial water landscapes in Germany, which shows how new habitats can be created from former industrial wastelands.
However, the challenges should not be underestimated. The coal phase-out resulted in the loss of around 82,800 jobs in the lignite and hard coal sectors, which makes the urgent need for new perspectives and infrastructure easy to understand. The development of transport routes, educational institutions and digital infrastructures must grow in this context.
The legal framework for the coal phase-out
The phase-out of coal-fired power generation is regulated by the Coal Power Generation Termination Act (KVBG) and includes the gradual decommissioning of plants. According to bundesnetzagentur.de, the reduction in coal-fired power plant output will take place in several rounds of tenders, which means that no new coal-fired power generation contract will be concluded. From 2027, the end of coal-fired power generation will be regulated entirely by law and no further tenders will be necessary.
In order to achieve the goal of completely phasing out coal by 2038, comprehensive measures are necessary. Taking ecological, economic and social aspects into account is essential so that the former opencast mining regions are not just a shadow of their former self, but can shine with new opportunities.
Incidentally, the winning team's plans will be exhibited in the architecture pavilion at the Technical University of Braunschweig in the fall, which should bring additional attention to the region. In what form and where exactly the designs will be presented remains to be seen - but one thing is clear: the transformation of the Helmstedt district is in full swing.