Frechen Wachtberg factory: New prospects for your trade
Site with great development potential in the Cologne-Bonn metropolitan region
The city of Frechen is located in the high density area of the Cologne metropolitan region at the interface between the economically important Rhine region and the innovation region of the Rhenish mining area. The site’s location offers excellent transport links, including access to major roads and proximity to national railway lines. Thus the Wachtberg site is connected to the public road network from the east and the south. Both variants enable an efficient connection of heavy goods traffic to the motorway network via the L 496 without passing through towns. The A 1 motorway (Dortmund-Cologne-Euskirchen, Gleuel junction approx. 3.5km), A 61 (to Kerpen junction approx. 13km), A 4 (Aachen-Cologne, Frechen-Nord junction approx. 5.5km) and A 61 (Venlo-Koblenz, Türnich junction approx. 10km) are not far from the planning area. The site is also connected to the centre of Cologne by public transport via a nearby stop on city railway line 7 operated by KVB (Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe).
The traditional 46-hectare industrial site to the west of Frechen city centre is only around 10km from Cologne city centre. With the extensive technical infrastructure such as electricity and water supply, the essential foundations are in place for any kind of commercial or industrial subsequent utilisation.
Picture: rendertaxi images
Business location with unique utilisation prospects
The site is characterised by excellent connections to the Cologne-Bonn metropolitan region. By combining the surrounding attractive forest and green structures with the historic buildings, the site can develop a unique selling point and offer companies a distinctive address.
The aim is to integrate the historic building fabric into a utilisation concept that combines the traditional site’s past and future. Studies have already been commissioned to show how the site can retain its distinctive character and at the same time be used in an economically viable way.
Pulverised lignite will continue to be produced at the Frechen factory on the site until around 2030. The conceptual utilisation visions currently being developed jointly by the city of Frechen and PSW are to be fully implemented by this time. Parts of the site will be available for use much earlier.
Picture: RWE Power AG
Initial areas of the traditional site available in the short term
The briquette factory ceased operations at the end of 2022. This means that a ‘starter area’ of around 10 hectares will be available for new uses from 2026. Land-use planning is scheduled to begin as early as 2025. The development of this area is in line with the utilisation considerations of the city of Frechen and the project company PSW for the entire site. A further approx. 35 hectares of land can be made available in subsequent years as expansion opportunities for existing companies or prospective newcomers.
Contact details
Saskia Altmann
RWE Power AG
Phone +49 2271.70.4350
saskia.altmann@rwe.com
Stephan Beckers
NRW.URBAN
Phone +49 211.54238.272
stephan.beckers@nrw-urban.de