Stadtwerke Greifswald

Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH is the municipal utility company of the Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is fully owned by the city and describes itself as "100% kommunal". The company supplies households and businesses in Greifswald and its surrounding region with electricity, natural gas, district heating and drinking water, and its subsidiaries operate the local public transport network and the sports and leisure swimming pool. According to its own figures, it serves around 70,000 customers and employs more than 291 people, and it has been keeping Greifswald running since 1991. The roots of municipal utility provision in Greifswald go back much further: street lighting with town gas began in 1815, the gas supply was expanded in 1858, the waterworks were founded in 1887 and the electricity works in 1906. In 1923 the Städtische Werke Greifswald were established, combining water and electricity works with an asphalt and gas works, and later also the slaughterhouse, the theatre and a bathing establishment. After German reunification, the city parliament decided on 20 June 1990 to re-establish the Greifswald Stadtwerke, and Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH was founded on 29 May 1991. Today the group operates electricity, gas, district heating and drinking water networks. The electricity network comprises around 600 km of low-voltage lines with over 9,300 household connections in Greifswald, the municipality of Wackerow and the island of Riems. The gas network covers around 1,562 km of low-pressure lines with over 6,500 household connections in Greifswald and Grimmen, and the company also runs two bio-natural-gas filling stations. The district heating network is almost 100 km long with about 1,250 household connection stations, supplying heat and hot water to two-thirds of all households in Greifswald through combined heat and power. The waterworks produce over three million cubic metres of drinking water per year through nearly 320 km of pipes and over 8,340 household connections in Greifswald and Gützkow. Beyond energy and water, the Stadtwerke group includes subsidiaries for public transport (Verkehrsbetrieb Greifswald GmbH), the Freizeitbad Greifswald swimming pool, and the Stadtwerke-Kantine canteen operated by Schwimmbad und Anlagen Greifswald GmbH. The company is also active in energy generation, operating combined heat and power plants, a gas turbine, a large heat pump, a solar thermal plant and heat storage at its site near the Helmshäger Berg industrial area. It promotes e-mobility with charging stations and a fleet of 13 electric vehicles, and it is committed to climate protection and the energy transition in the region.

The history of municipal utility provision in Greifswald stretches back to the early 19th century. In 1815, streets and squares of the city began to be lit with town gas. In 1858 the inner-city gas supply was expanded. The waterworks were founded in 1887, followed by the electricity works in 1906. In 1923 the Städtische Werke Greifswald were established, combining the water and electricity works with an asphalt and gas works; later the slaughterhouse, the theatre and a bathing establishment were also part of the municipal works. Between 1949 and 1953, the Deutsche Wirtschaftskommission für die Sowjetische Besatzungszone (German Economic Commission for the Soviet Occupation Zone), acting under the 22 June 1949 ordinance on the reorganisation of the energy industry in the Soviet occupation zone, transferred the Städtische Werke into central administration. Municipal self-government became possible again through the law of 17 May 1990. On 20 June 1990 the city parliament (Bürgerschaft) of the Hanseatic city of Greifswald resolved to re-establish the Greifswald Stadtwerke. The modern company was founded on 29 May 1991 as Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH. A series of subsidiaries followed: Fernwärme Greifswald GmbH on 28 June 1991; Schwimmbad und Anlagen Greifswald GmbH on 28 June 1991; Bildungszentrum in Greifswald gGmbH (BiG) on 1 February 1992; Gasversorgung Greifswald GmbH (GVG) on 14 February 1992; Verkehrsbetrieb Greifswald GmbH on 26 March 1992; Wasserwerke Greifswald GmbH (WWG) on 17 December 1992, with operations starting on 1 May 1993; and Stromversorgung Greifswald GmbH (SVG) on 21 December 1992, with operations starting on 1 July 1994. On 5 January 2011 the Grimmener Stadtwerke (GSW) were founded, and on 7 June 2011 the Energieerzeugungsgesellschaft Greifswald GmbH was established, starting operations on 1 January 2012. A major strategic phase was the re-municipalisation of the group through the complete acquisition of third-party shares: GVG on 2 November 2012, GSW on 23 March 2015, and both SVG and WWG on 1 January 2016. On 1 August 2017, Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH was merged with its subsidiaries for district heating, electricity, gas and water supply, energy generation and the Grimmener Stadtwerke. At the same time, part of Fernwärme Greifswald was spun off and renamed Stadtwerke Greifswald Innovationsgesellschaft mbH. Today the company is the basic supplier (Grundversorger) for electricity and gas in Greifswald and operates the electricity, gas, district heating and drinking water networks. It also operates the drinking water network in Gützkow, the electricity network in Wackerow and the gas network in Grimmen. Its energy generation portfolio includes combined heat and power (CHP) plants, a gas turbine, a large heat pump, a solar thermal plant and heat storage at its site near the Helmshäger Berg industrial area. The company has been expanding e-mobility infrastructure and, according to its website, has been keeping Greifswald running since 1991 with more than 30 years of energy experience.

• 2024

  For the 10th time, the company receives the "TOP-Ausbildungsbetrieb" award from the IHK Neubrandenburg.

• 2017

  On 1 August, Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH merges with its subsidiaries for district heating, electricity, gas and water supply, energy generation and Grimmener Stadtwerke; part of Fernwärme Greifswald is spun off as Stadtwerke Greifswald Innovationsgesellschaft mbH.

• 2016

  SVG and WWG fully acquired on 1 January, completing re-municipalisation.

• 2015

  GSW fully acquired on 23 March.

• 2012

  Energieerzeugungsgesellschaft Greifswald GmbH begins operations on 1 January; GVG fully acquired on 2 November.

• 2011

  Founding of Grimmener Stadtwerke (5 Jan) and Energieerzeugungsgesellschaft Greifswald GmbH (7 Jun).

• 1994

  Stromversorgung Greifswald GmbH begins operations on 1 July 1994.

• 1993

  Wasserwerke Greifswald GmbH begins operations on 1 May 1993.

• 1992

  Founding of Bildungszentrum in Greifswald gGmbH (1 Feb), Gasversorgung Greifswald GmbH (14 Feb), Verkehrsbetrieb Greifswald GmbH (26 Mar), Wasserwerke Greifswald GmbH (17 Dec) and Stromversorgung Greifswald GmbH (21 Dec).

• 1991

  Founding of Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH on 29 May 1991; founding of Fernwärme Greifswald GmbH and Schwimmbad und Anlagen Greifswald GmbH on 28 June 1991.

• 1990

  Law of 17 May 1990 enables municipal self-government again; on 20 June 1990 the city parliament resolves to re-establish the Greifswald Stadtwerke.

• 1949

  Ordinance on the reorganisation of the energy industry in the Soviet occupation zone; between 1949 and 1953 the Städtische Werke are transferred to central administration.

• 1923

  Founding of the Städtische Werke Greifswald, combining water and electricity works with an asphalt and gas works.

• 1906

  Founding of the electricity works.

• 1887

  Founding of the waterworks.

• 1858

  Expansion of the inner-city gas supply.

• 1815

  Street and square lighting with town gas begins in Greifswald.

Municipal utility focused on public services (Daseinsvorsorge), reliable supply, and regional climate protection.

• Electricity supply

  Basic and eco electricity tariffs; operates around 600 km of low-voltage network with over 9,300 household connections in Greifswald, Wackerow and Riems.

• Natural gas supply

  Gas tariffs from basic supply to ecological variants; operates around 1,562 km of low-pressure network with over 6,500 household connections in Greifswald and Grimmen; two bio-natural-gas filling stations.

• District heating

  Almost 100 km network with about 1,250 household connection stations, supplying heat and hot water to two-thirds of Greifswald households via combined heat and power.

• Drinking water

  Over three million cubic metres per year through nearly 320 km of pipes and over 8,340 household connections in Greifswald and Gützkow; waterworks at Groß Schönwalde (1914), Hohenmühl (2004) and Gützkow (1967, modernised 1994).

• Public transport (Stadtbus)

  Operated by Verkehrsbetrieb Greifswald GmbH; new route network from October 2026.

• Freizeitbad Greifswald

  Sports and leisure swimming pool operated by a subsidiary.

• Energy generation

  CHP plants, gas turbine (H2-ready), large heat pump, solar thermal plant and heat storage at the Helmshäger Berg site.

• E-mobility

  Charging stations for electric vehicles; fleet of 13 electric vehicles, 12 of which are EU-funded.

1. 1Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH: 100% kommunalsw-greifswald.de
2. 2Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH: Karrieresw-greifswald.de
3. 3Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH: Aktuellessw-greifswald.de
4. 4Stadtwerke Greifswald GmbH: Stadtwerke-Kantinesw-greifswald.de
5. 5Stadtwerke Greifswald – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Stadtwerke Greifswald – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org