For 170 years, the electricity and gas networks have been supplying the citizens of the state capital safely and reliably with electricity and gas. As a municipal company of the state capital, Netzgesellschaft Schwerin has been taking on this responsibility for the citizens since October 1, 2005.

In addition to supply security, we guarantee all market participants transparent, non-discriminatory access to the networks. The state regulatory authority of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern supervises and regulates our operations.

Electricity and Gas Through the Ages

Having electricity and heat is something most Schwerin residents take for granted. Yet the story only began in 1855 with the city's first gasworks, followed by the electric power plant in 1904. For the past 20 years, the necessary supply network has been in the hands of NGS. "When citizens ask what we do, I say: We ensure that there's always light and warmth in Schwerin households," says Christian Nickchen, Managing Director of Netzgesellschaft Schwerin mbH (NGS), plainly. Much has happened to make this possible today: in 1855, Schwerin’s first gasworks was commissioned to illuminate Lübecker Straße with gas lanterns. On December 24, 1904, the first electricity plant started operation and took over the gasworks' lighting tasks, while the gasworks then focused on heat supply. In 1924, the Städtische Werke were founded as the predecessor to the Stadtwerke Schwerin. By 1939, electricity consumption had already reached 9.8 million kilowatt hours. A major increase in electricity and gas consumption occurred with the development of Großer Dreesch in 1971. Over 20,000 apartments were built and connected to the supply network, providing homes for around 60,000 people – a milestone. Schwerin’s growth as an industrial hub also boosted the energy sector: starting in 1974, a substation was built on Rogahner Straße to support industrial settlement in Görries. "The construction site was well equipped overall," recalls Herbert Ruhkieck, then an operations engineer for electricity. "After work, we locked away bolts and washers – materials were in high demand."

With the founding of Stadtwerke, the path for NGS was paved

In 1991, Stadtwerke Schwerin was founded, from which NGS emerged as a subsidiary in 2005. From then on, the recent history reflects a continually expanding supply network, for example, due to the increased electricity demand with the commissioning of the Göhrener Tannen industrial area. In 2016, NGS’s first smart local grid station in the Lewenberg district demonstrated continuous progress. For the first time, it became possible to digitally monitor the transformer station, remotely control it in case of faults, and make voltage adjustments. A particular challenge was renewing the medium-voltage cable through Lake Neumühler – requiring not only excellent technology but also the use of divers. Citizen-based autonomous power generation has also been a milestone for NGS – starting as early as 1995. The boom has continued since 2022. "It’s our task to manage the grid operation in a modern way and continue expanding it," says Christian Nickchen. "We will invest in municipal heating planning – always in the interest of our consumers and sustainability."