According to a study by UK-based Aurora Energy Re- search, Germany already has enough gas-fired capacity to support the government-convened coal commission’s recommended exit from coal by 2038, which was announced in late January. However, the exist strategy means that the existing under-used gas plant will see higher gas burn.
In a statement by Zukunft Erdgas (ZE), which com- missioned the report, gas will become the biggest fuel for power generation after renewables. ZE’s members include Uniper and Wintershall.
If coal and gas-fired power plants were to take over the power generation of the coal-fired power plants that
the commission says should close, that would mean another 30 to 50 TWh of gas would be required. Full replacement with gas would increase the additional demand to around 81 TWh. As a result, gas demand in Germany would increase by up to 8% by 2022. New LNG terminals, the completion of the integra- tion of the European gas market and new pipelines will further secure supplies in the future, the study said. “One thing is clear: the importance of gas-fired pow- er plants will increase considerably. The commission’s proposals make gas the second pillar of the energy system alongside renewable energies…. However, the gas power plants must be saved from further decom- missioning. This is the only way to guarantee the high level of security of supply in Germany,” said ZE CEO Timm Kehler.
There is around 30 GW of gas-fired capacity available now, but last year they were only used at an average 38% the Aurora Energy study showed. By contrast, more than 80% of the capacity of lignite-fired plants and 40% of coal-fired plants were used.
ZE urged Berlin to rapidly translate the commission’s recommendations into laws. Priority must be given to measures that secure the gas-fired power plant portfolio and encourage the construction of low-emission power plants. An extension of cogeneration and a qualified capacity market are good solutions to make the pow- er plant fleet fit for the future, it said. In addition, the federal government should ensure reliable monitoring of the effects.
Recent Comments