In the media: Expensive export power; EnBW bets on gas
Fraunhofer ISE
“Exported power more expensive than imported power”
Germany makes billions of euros from exporting power every year, researchers at the Fraunhofer ISE found. The country made 1.7 billion euros in 2014 and is set to receive between 1.5 billion and 2 billion euros this year. Exported power is sold at a higher price than power imported into Germany, the researchers say (see chart below). In 2015, Germany is likely to export 40 terawatt-hours more electricity than it imports.
Read the article in German here.
Handelsblatt
“EnBW head Frank Mastiaux: Natural gas is in the game”
Acquiring the natural gas supplier VNG is part of the three pillars that utility EnBW wants to build its future on, CEO Frank Mastiaux told the Handelsblatt. Since the traditional business model of centralised power stations is out of date, EnBW is focusing on renewables, power and gas supply networks and sales and distribution of power and gas, Mastiaux said. Natural gas is important for the Energiewende as a heating source and as a reliable power source. As more nuclear power and old coal plants are shut down, gas fired plants will become economically viable again, Mastiaux believes.
Greenpeace Nordic
“Transfer Vattenfall’s brown coal operations into a non-profit foundation”
Greenpeace Nordic has officially handed in a statement of interest in the bidding process for Vattenfall’s lignite operations in Germany. The environmental activists suggest transferring Vattenfall’s lignite assets into a non-profit foundation to phase out operations by 2030. According to calculations by Energy Brainpool, the utility’s coal operations in Germany have a net present value of half a billion euros by 2030 - but Greenpeace estimates that closure and clean-up costs amounting to over 2 billion euros would render the companies value negative.
Read the press release in German here.
Die Welt
“German insulation madness aggravates refugee crisis”
Germany lacks housing for refugees – and strict insulation requirements are preventing many constructors from building new homes, writes Daniel Wetzel in Die Welt. As of January 2016, new buildings have to have an even lower primary energy consumption so that Germany can achieve a climate neutral housing stock by 2050. But this makes construction around 7 percent more expensive, says Wetzel. Building associations have demanded that the insulation rules are postponed by five years to incentivise construction now - but the environment ministry has decided that climate action is the priority and only waived insulation requirements for interim homes.
Read the article in German here.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
“Voltage near the Autobahn”
Utility RWE and service station operator Tank & Rast will establish 49 new fast-charging stations for e-cars along Germany’s motorways next year, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports. Electric vehicles will be able to charge within 15 minutes to last another 100 km. The service will be free of charge to begin with. Tank & Rast plans to equip about 400 service stations, every 30 km, with the charging facilities. RWE operates three-quarters of Germany’s 4,000 e-car charging stations, the article says.
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)
“Renewable energies in numbers”
A new overview on the development of renewable energies in Germany, published by the working group on renewable energy statistics and the BMWi, shows that renewables had a share of almost 28 percent of power consumption in 2014.
Download the brochure in German here and data here.
Road to Paris – COP21
Carbon Pulse
“World, state leaders unite in calling for a price on carbon”
The Carbon Pricing Panel, including heads of states, cities and large companies convened by the World Bank and IMF, have called for a price to be put on carbon to steer the global economy towards a cleaner future and avoid dangerous climate change. German chancellor Angela Merkel, who is among the supporters, said that carbon pricing was making investments into low-carbon or carbon-free technologies attractive, which helped to adhere to the common two-degree climate goal.
Read the article in English here.
