Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH

What Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH does

Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH (MHKW Rothensee) operates Germany's largest waste-to-energy plant, located in the Magdeburg-Rothensee industrial district of Saxony-Anhalt. Commissioned in June 2005 with approximately €470 million invested in the facility, the plant thermally processes roughly 1 million tonnes of municipal household waste, commercial/industrial waste, and sewage sludge annually through five combustion lines across three blocks, operating at 850-1000°C. The core technology stack includes a multi-stage flue gas cleaning system (spray absorber, fabric filters, lime slurry/HOK injection) with continuous emissions monitoring reported online to regulators, plus a dedicated sewage sludge fluidised-bed furnace (up to 55,000 tonnes/year) with phosphorus recovery from residual ash. Combined heat and power (CHP) generation is enabled by three extraction condensing turbines (3 x 33.6 MW gross electrical) and three natural circulation boilers (3 x 77.6 MW gross district heating).

The company serves three primary customer segments: municipal authorities and local governments disposing household residual waste under Germany's post-2005 landfill ban regime; commercial and industrial businesses in the Magdeburg region requiring compliant waste disposal; and municipal wastewater treatment facilities needing sewage sludge mono-incineration with phosphorus recovery. Revenue is generated through three streams: usage-based gate fees on waste volume and type; sale of approximately 370,000 MWh/year of green electricity (classified renewable due to >60% biogenic waste content, certified by the German Federal Environment Agency) to Städtische Werke Magdeburg (SWM); and sale of approximately 450,000 MWh/year of district heating to the SWM network, supplying 44,000-50,000 households and businesses in Magdeburg. The facility holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001:2018, and Entsorgungsfachbetrieb certifications, and operates a service portal (web + Android app) for waste disposal requests, delivery scheduling, and certificate downloads. The company is a privately held GmbH associated with EEW Energy from Waste GmbH (Helmstedt-based parent/operator group) and SWM as major shareholders with supervisory board representation.

Name

Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH

Legal name

Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH

Website

https://mhkw-rothensee.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH operates Germany's largest waste-to-energy plant in Magdeburg, thermally processing 1 million tonnes of municipal and commercial waste annually to generate green electricity (370,000 MWh) and CO2-neutral district heating (450,000 MWh) for the city.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste-to-Energy Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators (562213), Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (22133)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Incineration & Energy Recovery (EUACAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Waste-to-Energy CHP (Municipal/Industrial Waste Incineration) (EUACAKAC), Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Combustion Facilities (BPALACAD), Industrial & Commercial Waste Incineration (Non-hazardous) (EUAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Waste-to-energy services
• District heating supply
• Residual waste incineration
• Green electricity generation
• Sewage sludge disposal

Headquarters

HQ city

Magdeburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Waste Treatment and Disposal Fees: Primary revenue stream from processing municipal household waste and commercial/industrial waste. Fees charged based on waste volume and type delivered to the facility. The company processes approximately 1 million tonnes of residual waste annually from municipal and commercial customers.
2. Electricity Generation and Sales: Sale of green electricity generated from waste incineration to Städtische Werke Magdeburg (SWM). Annual production of approximately 370,000 MWh of green electricity, classified as such because over 60% of processed waste consists of biogenic materials. Certified through the Proof of Origin Register of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA).
3. District Heating Supply: Sale of district heat (waste heat from incineration) to SWM network. Annual production of approximately 450,000 MWh district heating supplied to over 44,000-50,000 households and businesses in Magdeburg.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH operates Germany's largest waste-to-energy plant, thermally processing approximately 1 million tonnes of municipal household and commercial residual waste annually through five combustion lines across three blocks at 850-1000°C. The incineration process drives combined heat and power generation, producing green electricity and CO2-neutral district heating fed into the Städtische Werke Magdeburg grid to supply tens of thousands of households and businesses. The company also provides complementary services including sewage sludge mono-incineration with phosphorus recovery, a customer-facing service portal, and educational plant tours.

Product overview

Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH operates a single unified waste-to-energy facility (MHKW Rothensee) — Germany's largest waste incineration plant — that processes approximately 1 million tons of municipal and commercial residual waste annually. The core offering is thermal waste treatment combined with combined heat and power generation, producing green electricity and CO2-neutral district heating. Supporting services include a customer service portal (web and Android app), municipal and commercial waste disposal, sewage sludge incineration, and public plant tours. The facility is certified as a waste management company (Entsorgungsfachbetrieb), plastics recycling facility, and holds ISO 50001 (energy), ISO 9001 (quality), and ISO 14001 (environmental) certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MHKW Rothensee Waste-to-Energy Plant Germany's largest waste-to-energy plant, thermally processing approximately 1 million tonnes of municipal household and commercial residual waste annually across five combustion lines and three blocks at 850-1000°C to drive combined heat and power generation for municipal and commercial customers.
• District Heating Supply CO2-neutral district heating generated as a by-product of waste incineration, supplied via the Städtische Werke Magdeburg network to over 44,000-50,000 households and businesses in Magdeburg through well-insulated underground pipes at approximately 450,000 MWh per year.
• Green Electricity Generation Generation of green electricity from waste incineration, classified as renewable because over 60% of processed waste consists of biogenic materials, fed into the Städtische Werke Magdeburg grid at approximately 370,000 MWh per year to supply roughly 40,000-50,000 households, certified through the UBA Proof of Origin Register.
• MHKW Service Portal Online customer portal (web and Android app) enabling municipal and commercial customers to submit waste disposal requests, schedule waste deliveries, access weighing data, view budget and delivery notes, and download certificates.
• Municipal Waste Disposal Services Thermal treatment and disposal of household and residual waste delivered by municipalities, processed through the waste-to-energy plant in compliance with Germany's landfill ban since 2005.
• Commercial Waste Disposal Services Thermal treatment and disposal of commercial and industrial waste from businesses in the Magdeburg region, meeting statutory environmental standards and supporting verifiable energy recovery.
• Sewage Sludge Incineration Fluidised-bed furnace mono-incinerating up to 55,000 tonnes of sewage sludge per year for municipal wastewater treatment facilities, using quartz sand for stable combustion and recovering phosphorus from residual ash for fertilizer production.
• Plant Tours Educational guided tours of the waste-to-energy facility for visitor groups, accommodating approximately 800 groups and over 1,000 visitors annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000 tonnes of climate-damaging fossil CO2 saved annually through green electricity and district heating production
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Berufsfeuerwehr MagdeburgminorOthers · 1 July 2026Professional fire brigade of Magdeburg that responded to the fire incident in waste bunker 2 in July 2026. Thanked for close and reliable cooperation during the three-day emergency response.
• SSA SoftSolutions GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSoftware development company from Augsburg that collaborated on developing and implementing the MHKW Rothensee Service Portal. The portal provides waste disposal request functionality, delivery scheduling, and customer data access.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Covanta Holding Corporation: North America's largest owner/operator of WtE facilities, processing municipal waste into electricity and district energy. Closest pure-play WtE peer with the same combination of tipping fees and electricity/heat revenues.
• MVV Energie AG: Mannheim-based utility that operates WtE plants and district heating networks in Germany. Comparable as a German municipal utility operator with combined waste incineration, electricity, and district heating exposure feeding local heating grids.

Broad incumbents

• EEW Energy from Waste GmbH: EEW is the parent/anchor shareholder of MHKW Rothensee and one of Europe's largest WtE operators with multiple plants across Germany. Direct comparable: same WtE combustion technology, same German regulatory regime, same waste streams, and same CHP outputs.
• SUEZ S.A. French-listed environmental services group operating WtE facilities and district heating networks in Europe. Comparable technology, business model, and regulatory exposure.
• REMONDIS SE & Co. KG: One of Europe's largest waste management companies, operating WtE and incineration facilities in Germany. Comparable as a major German waste-to-energy competitor with municipal and commercial waste intake and energy recovery.
• Veolia Environnement S.A. Global environmental services group with WtE, district heating, and municipal waste operations across Europe. Comparable as a large incumbent WtE operator with similar service portfolio and European customer base.
• FCC Environment (FCC S.A.): Spanish-originated environmental services group operating WtE plants and municipal waste contracts across Europe. Comparable as a multi-country WtE incumbent with municipal and commercial waste intake.

Regional players

• Stadtreinigung Hamburg (Müllverwertung Borsigstraße): Owner of one of Germany's largest WtE plants (Borsigstraße) feeding Hamburg's district heating grid. Closest direct regional competitor in Germany with the same urban WtE + city heating model.
• Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG: Austrian/German waste management group with WtE operations. Comparable as a DACH-region waste-to-energy operator with municipal and commercial focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/m%C3%BCllheizkraftwerk-rothensee-gmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Müllheizkraftwerk Rothensee GmbH