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Stadtwerke München GmbH (Munich City Utilities) or SWM is a German communal company, owned by the city of
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, which offers
public services A public service or service of general (economic) interest is any service (economics), service intended to address the needs of aggregate members of a community, whether provided directly by a public sector agency, via public financing availab ...
for the city and the region of Munich. The company supplies
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
for more than 95% of Munich's 750.000 households as well as
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
,
drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...
and, through its stake in the M-net Telekommunikations GmbH,
telecommunications service A telecommunications company is a kind of electronic communications service provider, more precisely a telecommunications service provider (TSP), that provides telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many t ...
s. SWM is Europe's largest municipal utility company and ranks among Germany's principal energy providers according to company information. Expanding use of
renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
has been a central element in the company's strategy since 2008. However, the company is also engaged in the industrialisation of the Norwegian wilderness through massive wind-turbines, which has created great opposition in Norway, among others in Sørmarka, Trøndelag. Through its subsidiary, the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG) (founded in 2001), the SWM also runs most of the inner city
public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...
network by maintaining the
Munich U-Bahn The Munich U-Bahn () is an Railway electrification system, electric rail Rapid transit, rapid transit network in Munich, Germany. The system began operation in 1971, and is operated by the municipally owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG; Mun ...
as well as the Munich Tramway and
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
services.


Products


Electricity

Under the "M-Strom" name, SWM offers various
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
rates and related services for private and business customers in Munich and the surrounding region. Many offers are available nationwide. With more than 250,000 green energy customers, SWM refers to itself as one of the largest providers of green electricity in the private and commercial market in Germany. Within Munich city limits and the surrounding region, SWM operates twelve hydroelectric
power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
s, several plants which generate electricity from
renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
, and the three cogeneration
power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
s Nord, Süd and Freimann, which generate around 70 percent of the electricity through cogeneration.


Natural gas

SWM supplies its customers with
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
as part of the trans-European network. The company is also able to draw on its own underground storage. SWM offers various natural gas rates, some of which are available nationwide. In Munich, SWM operates ten natural gas stations where cars can fill up on renewable bio-methane.


District heating

When generating electricity in the cogeneration process, heat is created which is then inputted into the
district heating District heating (also known as heat networks) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heater, space heating and w ...
grid from SWM's cogeneration plants. SWM produces
district heating District heating (also known as heat networks) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heater, space heating and w ...
in its cogeneration and heating plants which supplies large buildings and households via over 800 kilometers of steam and hot water networks, which is then in turn used for heating and the supply of hot water. Thanks to wide-ranging investments in this area, connecting to the SWM district heating network is now possible in an increasing number of districts in Munich. By 2040, the aim is to produce 100 percent of district heating in Munich using renewable energies.


District cooling

Compared to conventional air conditioning systems,
district cooling A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
has less of an environmental impact and is more energy efficient – in fact, district cooling requires around half of the primary energy required by air conditioning. Cold ground water is used as the energy source for cooling within a closed loop system, and only the pumps are operated using electricity. The slightly warmed groundwater is then subsequently returned to the groundwater system.


Water

Some 80 percent of the drinking water for Munich comes from the Mangfalltal valley near Weyarn in
Upper Bavaria Upper Bavaria (, ; ) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat of the district gove ...
, while 20 percent is sourced from the Loisachtal valley near
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; ) is an Northern Limestone Alps, Alpine mountain resort, ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district), district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ...
, between Oberau and Farchant. The southern area of the Munich gravel plain also serves as a reserve for peaks in demand. The high quality of the city's drinking water is, among other things, attributable to these procurement areas in the Bavarian Alpine foothills, as well as the sustainable forestry in these regions.


Swimming pools

SWM operates ten indoor and eight outdoor swimming pools in Munich. The company's operations in this area deliver on the “Munich swimming pool concept” adopted by the city council in 1991, which provided for the improvement of the city's swimming pools for leisure and recreation. In Munich, there are two combined pool complexes (combination of indoor and outdoor pools): the Westbad in Weinbergerstrasse in the west and the Michaelibad in Heinrich-Wieland-Strasse in the east. The Michaelibad is Munich's largest recreation and leisure pool complex.


Energy advice

The offer range also includes the energy saving advice project for low-income households, which SWM carries out together with Munich-based charities.


Renewable energies project

In 2008, SWM initiated an offensive for expanding the use of renewable energies. By 2025, SWM is aiming to produce as much green electricity with its own plants as consumed by the whole of Munich – some 7.5 billion kilowatt hours per year. The renewable energies expansion offensive has a budget of around nine billion euros. Currently, SWM holds a stake in the offshore wind parks Global Tech I,
Gwynt y Môr is a 576-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located off the coast of north Wales and is the fifth largest operating offshore windfarm in the world. The farm has 160 wind turbines of tip height above mean sea level. Planning consent for the pro ...
and DanTysk, among others. Further projects like the offshore wind park Sandbank are currently in the planning phase.


Public transport

Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG), a subsidiary of SWM, offers a range of public transport in Munich, including subway, bus and tram.


Telecommunications

Together with its subsidiary M-net Telekommunikations GmbH, SWM is laying a fiber-optic network in Munich. Moreover, M-net is investing in the expansion of fiber-optic broadband networks in other regions of Bavaria. These are already available in over 50 percent of Bavarian households as well as for private and business customers in the Greater Ulm region.


Group structure

Stadtwerke München has been a GmbH since 1998, i.e. a private law-governed limited company, which is wholly owned by the City of
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. As a municipal company, SWM provides public services. SWM's headquarters is in the north of Munich, in Emmy-Noether-Strasse 2. SWM has expanded its core business areas through participations.


Subsidiaries

SWM consists of the following subsidiaries: * SWM Versorgungs GmbH * SWM Infrastruktur GmbH * SWM Infrastruktur Region GmbH * SWM Services GmbH * SWM Kundenservice GmbH, München * Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG)


Investments

SWM has investments with the following companies: * M-net Telekommunikations GmbH * HKW Nord Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH München * Solardach München-Riem GmbH, München * Kom-Strom AG, Leipzig * KEA Bayern GmbH ("Kommunale Energie Allianz Bayern") * aquaKomm GmbH & Co KG * Erdgas Südbayern GmbH (ESB), München * Gasversorgung Haar GmbH (GVH, Haar) * Bayerngas GmbH, München * Münchner U-Bahn-Bewachungsgesellschaft mbH (MUG), München * P + R GmbH, München * MGIS Gesellschaft für Consulting und innovative Software mbH * Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung deutscher Versorgungsunternehmen AG (WV Energie AG), Frankfurt am Main *
Isar Nuclear Power Plant Isar I and Isar II were two nuclear power plants situated on the Isar river, 14 kilometres from Landshut, between Essenbach and Niederaichbach in Bavaria, Germany. As part of the nuclear power phase-out A nuclear power phase-out is ...
2 * Portal München Betriebs-GmbH & Co. KG *
Andasol The Andasol solar power station is a 150-megawatt (MW) concentrated solar power station and Europe's first commercial plant to use parabolic troughs. It is located near Guadix in Andalusia, Spain, and its name is a portmanteau of Andalusia and So ...
3


Company management

The company's Chief Executive Officer is Dr. Florian Bieberbach. Other managing directors are Ingo Wortmann (mobility), Helge-Uve Braun (technology), Karin Thelen (regional energy transition) and Gabriele Jahn (human resources, real estate, public pools).
Dieter Reiter Dieter Reiter (born 19 May 1958) is a German politician and the mayor of Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party. Career Reiter was born in Rain, Swabia. He studied at the Fachhochschule für ...
, Mayor of Munich, is Chairman of the Supervisory Board.


Power generation facilities in Munich and surrounding region

In Munich and the surrounding area, SWM produces energy at around 50 plants.


Heating and cogeneration plants

* Westbad block-type cogeneration plant, operating since 1997 * Freimann cogeneration plant, operating since 1974 * Nord cogeneration plant, operating since 1964 * Süd cogeneration plant, operating since 1899 for electricity generation, and since 1969 for district heating * Gaisbergstrasse district heating plant, operating since 1974 * Kathi-Kobus-Strasse district heating plant, operating since 1965 * Koppstrasse district heating plant, operating since 1967 * Perlach district heating plant, operating since 1980 * Theresienstrasse district heating plant, operating since 1963


Hydroelectric plants

* Isarwerk 1: This run-of-the-river plant built on the Isar Works Canal in Munich has been in operation since 1908. The plant has been under monument protection since 1993. * Isarwerk 2: This run-of-the-river plant built on the Isar Works Canal in Munich has been in operation since 1923. * Isarwerk 3: The run-of-the-river plant built on the Isar Works Canal in Munich has been in operation since 1923. * Leitzachwerk 1: This power plant located in the Mangfalltal valley in Rosenheim district has been operating since 1983. * Leitzachwerk 2: This power plant located in the Mangfalltal valley in Rosenheim district has been operating since 1965. * Leitzachwerk 3: This power plant located in the Mangfalltal valley in Rosenheim district has been operating since 1983. * Maxwerk: This run-of-the-river power plant located in Munich's Auer Mühlbach is the oldest hydroelectric plant operated by SWM. It was built in 1895. * Praterkraftwerk: This plant is invisible on the bed of the river in Munich's Isar, level with the Praterinsel. The plant has been operating since 2010. It is one of the small hydroelectric plants in Europe. * Stadtbachstufe: This small hydroelectric power plant has been operating since 2006. * Uppenbornwerk 1: This plant, which is located on the Middle Isar Canal near Moosburg, has been operating since 1930. * Uppenbornwerk 2: The plant, which is located on the Middle Isar Canal near Moosburg, has been operating since 1951. * Small hydroelectric power plant on the Sempt: The plant based in Wang has been operating since 2011. * Hammer small hydroelectric power plant: The plant, which is located near Fischbachau, has been operating since 1976.


Photovoltaic plants

SWM currently operates 24 PV sites within Munich city limits and
Moosburg Moosburg an der Isar ( Central Bavarian: ''Mooschbuag on da Isa'') is a town in the ''Landkreis'' Freising of Bavaria, Germany. The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m (1381 ft). It ...
. A total of 16 of the sites were actively financed by the income from the SWM M-Ökostrom green energy tariff. In this green energy rate, customers pay an extra surcharge compared to the standard SWM electricity rate. The income from the additional charge is used by SWM to build renewable energy plants in the region around Munich.


Others: Geothermal, wind, biogas

* Michaelibad
biogas Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste, Wastewater treatment, wastewater, and food waste. Biogas is produced by anaerobic ...
cogeneration plant, operating since 2013 * Riem geothermal plant: This plant has been operating since 2004 and provides the trade fair town of Riem with district heating. * Geothermal cogeneration plant Sauerlach: This plant has been operating since 2014, and generates heating and electricity. * Fröttmaning wind plant, operating since 1999


SWM Education Foundation

SWM founded the SWM Education Foundation in November 2007. It promotes measures and projects in pre-school and school fields as well as in initial vocational training. To mark its fifth anniversary in 2013, the SWM Education Foundation introduced two new focuses to its work: its own scholarship program as well as an award. The scholarship program is aimed at students studying engineering as well as natural sciences, economic sciences and IT based in Munich and the surrounding region. The Foundation's award, which comes with 10,000 euros in prize money, has been presented every year since 2013 in recognition of special efforts in the field of education for disadvantaged children, teens and young adults.


Stadtwerke Project

Socially disadvantaged and/or individually affected young people are supported by SWM via the "Stadtwerke Project" education initiative. The Stadtwerke Project has worked together with the city's youth welfare office for over 25 years to offer around five young people per year a technical/commercial vocational training at SWM, in connection with career-related advice and socio-educational support. The young people not only receive a complete vocational training, but also support in leading an independent life.


Sports funding

SWM funds the sports teams Schwimmstartgemeinschaft Stadtwerke München (SG SWM, swimming team) and Leichtathletikgemeinschaft Stadtwerke München (LG SWM, track and field team). SG SWM was formed when the individual swimming clubs Isarnixen Damen-Schwimm-Verein München, Männer-Schwimm-Verein München, Freier Wassersportverein München and Schwimmverein München 1899 merged. The training and competitive sports club is successful in the fields of swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo and diving. Through its funding, the company aims to promote competitive sports in these four areas as well as participation in national and international competitions.


References


Additional sources

* Hutter, Dominik (May 17, 2011)
"Natural Gas is Becoming More Expensive by Six Percent."
''Süddeutsche Zeitung''. * Näger, Doris (May 18, 2010)
"Service Desert SWM."
''Süddeutsche Zeitung''.


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Stadtwerke Munchen Public services of Germany Companies based in Munich Transport in Munich Public utilities in Germany