The Heil power plant, also known as the Bergkamen power plant, is located in the Heil district of Bergkamen on the Datteln-Hamm Canal. It is a hard coal power plant that is operated jointly by STEAG GmbH and RWE Power AG. Construction of the power plant began in the late 1970s and it was commissioned in 1981. The power plant has an output of 750 megawatts and produces around 3.7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and district heating for the city of Bergkamen every year.
The Heil power plant is characterized by its tall chimney of almost 290 meters, which is visible from the Westphalian marina Marina Rünthe. Originally, the hard coal was transported directly from the neighboring Monopol mine to the power plant via a conveyor belt. Today, coal is delivered via the plant's own port on the Datteln-Hamm Canal.
In recent years, there have been plans to shut down the power plant. It was originally scheduled to be taken off the grid in 2022, but due to the energy crisis and to ensure the power supply, operations were temporarily extended. The power plant is planned to continue operating until at least spring 2024.