German Power Plant Dismantled and Sent to Ukraine After Nord Stream Sabotage

The Greifswald industrial power plant located in Lubmin, northeastern Germany, is currently being dismantled and prepared for transport to Ukraine. The facility was built at the landfall of the Nord Stream gas pipelines and ceased operations in April 2023 following the sabotage of the undersea infrastructure. The plant is majority owned by Securing Energy for Europe, a state-owned German entity.

Adrianne Montgobert, a spokesperson for the owner, confirmed that the dismantling process is underway. The transfer is being managed by a team from Naftogaz, Ukraine's state oil and gas company. Montgobert stated that various options for the plant's future were investigated, including potential sales negotiations. However, no commercially viable solution was found, leading to the decision to donate the facility rather than scrap it.

The move comes as Ukraine faces repeated attacks on its energy grid by Russian forces. These strikes aim to exploit the coming winter months of cold and darkness to pressure Kyiv. Montgobert indicated that the transfer of the Lubmin facility is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2027.

Political debates in Germany have arisen regarding the plant's departure. In May, the Alternative for Germany party, the main opposition group, introduced a motion to halt the transfer. They argued that removing the plant would limit future energy policy options. The party has generally supported ending military aid to Ukraine and lifting sanctions on Russia.

Gerold Juergens, president of the Western Pomerania Business Association, voiced skepticism about the timing. He referenced allegations that Ukrainian forces were involved in the Nord Stream explosions, suggesting that the sequence of events, from pipeline destruction to plant removal, is difficult for many to explain. While Kyiv has denied involvement in the September 2022 explosions that ruptured three of the four pipelines, the trial of a Ukrainian special forces officer accused of leading the sabotage team is currently proceeding in Hamburg.

Despite external debates, the workers who operated the Lubmin plant have received the decision with understanding. Montgobert reported that the dismantling has proceeded smoothly, with no significant concerns raised by long-time employees or managers. The facility's transfer is part of a wider European Union initiative to move decommissioned energy components to Ukraine.

This effort builds on recent actions by other EU members. In September, Lithuania pledged to donate hundreds of tons of hardware from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which was closed in 2009. Additionally, in December 2025, the EU completed the relocation of a gas-fired thermal power plant from Lithuania to Ukraine. The Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant was delivered in 149 shipments totaling 2,399 tons. It was not reassembled but used as a source of parts for Ukrainian energy facilities.

An EU spokesperson noted that more than 4 billion euros, or approximately 4.42 billion dollars, in energy security aid has been provided to Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. This aid has the potential to generate power for up to 9.6 million people. The spokesperson emphasized the EU's continued support for Ukraine through the winter, though they declined to specify how much of the donated infrastructure has been damaged by Russian strikes.

Ukraine's energy ministry thanked EU countries in a July statement for their donations. At that time, it was reported that decommissioned facilities in Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and the Netherlands had been inspected for potential transfer. The next facility scheduled for transfer is the Riga CHP-2 power plant in Latvia. Sources in Brussels also indicated that two decommissioned coal-fired plants in Germany are under consideration for transfer, with names withheld due to concerns about sabotage.