Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda

Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda GmbH (GWV) was a municipal gas and water utility based in Fulda, Hesse, Germany. Its origins trace to 1862, when the Fulda city council resolved to establish gas street lighting, and to 18 October 1863, when a gasworks with a modern retort furnace began operating on the site of the former Giesschen garden and the first gas lanterns were lit in the city. Over the following century the enterprise expanded from town gas production into drinking water supply, district heating, natural gas distribution, and related energy services. The company supplied natural gas to private and commercial customers and operated several natural-gas filling stations. It provided drinking water to nearly 80,000 people in the city of Fulda and the municipalities of Ebersburg and Eichenzell, and it was responsible for the technical operation of water supply in Gersfeld and Poppenhausen. Water was pumped from wells to the central waterworks in Fulda for treatment, while additional water from springs in the Rhön was processed at the Götzenloch waterworks in Ebersburg. GWV also operated district heating systems in the Fulda urban area, generated heat from combined heat and power plants, and offered contracting models for commercial customers as well as products such as Relaxwärme for private households. Before its merger, GWV Fulda was owned by the City of Fulda (74.9%) and Thüga AG of Munich (25.1%). It held a 36.79% stake in GWV Osthessen, alongside Überlandwerk Fulda AG with an equal share. In 2010 the company employed an average of 175 staff and 11 apprentices. Following a decision by the Fulda district council in August 2012, GWV merged in summer 2013 with ÜWAG to form RhönEnergie Fulda, part of the RhönEnergie Gruppe, which today provides energy, mobility, and swimming-pool services across the region.

The history of Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda begins with the city of Fulda's decision in 1862 to introduce gas street lighting. On 22 December 1862 the city council founded a committee for the construction of a gasworks. In April 1863 the city concluded a contract with Emil Spreng, an engineer and director of the Nuremberg gasworks, for the construction of a gas plant. On 18 October 1863, the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig, the gasworks with a highly modern retort furnace began operation on the grounds of the former Giesschen garden, and gas lanterns were lit in Fulda for the first time at nightfall. In 1875 a second retort furnace was built to convert coal into so-called town gas. A gasometer for storing town gas was introduced in 1895, followed the next year by three gas generation furnaces, a purification house, an ammonia factory and a coke crushing plant. Between 1901 and 1903 the gasworks underwent significant expansion. The city was divided into six lighting districts with a total of 348 lanterns: 200 'Richtlaternen' that burned from dusk to dawn and 148 'Abendlaternen' that were extinguished at 11 p.m. A new administrative building was erected. In 1904, 1,164,530 cubic metres of gas were produced, consuming 4,067,500 kilograms of coal along with by-products coke, ammonia water and tar. Water supply infrastructure grew in parallel. In 1889 a 20-kilometre water transport pipeline was built, and the new Kalvarienberg high-level reservoir could supply 980 households with drinking water. In 1927 a second and third water high-level reservoir with a total capacity of 4,700 cubic metres were constructed. After successful groundwater drilling to a depth of 60 metres, a groundwater pumping station was built in the Fulda floodplain in 1932. During the Second World War the gas holder and the town gas pipe network in the gasworks were destroyed. After the war, reconstruction was pushed forward. In 1954 a dedicated medium-pressure network was completed and a spherical high-pressure gas holder was built. In the company's 100th anniversary year, 1963, the city received long-distance gas for the first time. Two years later, in-house production was shut down and Fulda was connected to the long-distance gas pipeline. The last gas lanterns in Fulda were removed in 1964. In 1971 the municipal enterprise Stadtwerke Fulda was converted into 'Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda GmbH'. In 1976 the company acquired the water supply facilities of the municipality of Eichenzell, and in 1980 those of Ebersburg. In 1990 it expanded with a conversion and extension of its operations yard including warehouse, parking deck and underground garage, while technical administration and energy consulting improved their services. The following year the Fulda-Niesig gas transfer station was built and commissioned. In 1998 GWV founded Bäder Betriebs GmbH, whose task was the operation of swimming pools, initially in Fulda. In 2001 a natural-gas filling station was built and commissioned on the B 27 near Fulda. Further expansion of GWV's services included cooperation with municipalities and cities in the water business field in 2003. In 2004 the 'relaxWärme' business field was established. In 2006 natural-gas filling stations opened in Lauterbach on the B 254 and in Fulda's Neuenberg district. Following a decision by the Fulda district council in August 2012, GWV merged in summer 2013 with ÜWAG to form RhönEnergie Fulda, ending its existence as an independent municipal utility.

• 2013

  GWV merges with ÜWAG in summer to form RhönEnergie Fulda.

• 2012

  Fulda district council decides in August to merge GWV with ÜWAG.

• 2006

  Natural-gas filling stations open in Lauterbach (B 254) and Fulda-Neuenberg.

• 2004

  Business field 'relaxWärme' established.

• 2001

  Natural-gas filling station built and commissioned on the B 27 near Fulda.

• 1998

  GWV founds Bäder Betriebs GmbH to operate swimming pools.

• 1991

  Fulda-Niesig gas transfer station built and commissioned.

• 1980

  Acquires water supply facilities of Ebersburg.

• 1976

  Acquires water supply facilities of Eichenzell.

• 1971

  Municipal enterprise Stadtwerke Fulda converted into Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda GmbH.

• 1965

  In-house gas production shut down; Fulda connected to the long-distance gas pipeline.

• 1964

  Last gas lanterns in Fulda removed.

• 1963

  City receives long-distance gas for the first time in the company's 100th anniversary year.

• 1954

  Medium-pressure network completed and spherical high-pressure gas holder built.

• 1932

  Groundwater pumping station built in the Fulda floodplain after drilling to 60 m depth.

• 1927

  Second and third water high-level reservoirs built with total capacity of 4,700 cubic metres.

• 1901

  Major expansion of the gasworks begins, lasting until 1903.

• 1895

  Gasometer introduced for town gas storage.

• 1889

  20 km water transport pipeline built; Kalvarienberg reservoir supplies 980 households.

• 1875

  Second retort furnace built for town gas production.

• 1863

  Contract signed with engineer Emil Spreng in April; gasworks begins operation on 18 October and first gas lanterns are lit.

• 1862

  Fulda city council resolves to introduce gas street lighting; committee for a gasworks founded on 22 December.

Municipal basic-service utility for gas, water and heat in the Fulda region, later integrated into the regional RhönEnergie Gruppe.

• Natural gas supply

  Natural gas delivered to private and commercial customers in the Fulda region.

• Drinking water supply

  Drinking water for nearly 80,000 people in Fulda, Ebersburg and Eichenzell; technical operation of water supply in Gersfeld and Poppenhausen.

• District heating

  Heat from combined heat and power plants delivered to connected commercial and private customers for heating and hot water.

• Natural-gas filling stations

  Several natural-gas filling stations operated by GWV.

• Contracting for heat generation

  Tailored contracting models for commercial customers; GWV owns the installed or taken-over plant and handles all work for a contracting rate plus energy consumption.

• Relaxwärme

  Private-customer heating product combining solar thermal with a natural-gas condensing boiler.

1. 1Wir sind der Herzschlag | RhönEnergie Gruppere-gruppe.de
2. 2Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Gas- und Wasserversorgung Fulda – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org