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Energy crisis in Bavaria: expert gives catastrophic testimony to the Söder government - "Strauß would have taken care of it"

2022-08-05T17:48:24.977Z


Energy crisis in Bavaria: expert gives catastrophic testimony to the Söder government - "Strauß would have taken care of it" Created: 08/05/2022, 19:40 By: Matthew Schneider Energy expert Detlef Fischer (left) gives the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (top right) and his predecessor (not in the picture) a bad report. Below the Bavarian energy mix, which is not sustainable as it is. © Harry


Energy crisis in Bavaria: expert gives catastrophic testimony to the Söder government - "Strauß would have taken care of it"

Created: 08/05/2022, 19:40

By: Matthew Schneider

Energy expert Detlef Fischer (left) gives the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (top right) and his predecessor (not in the picture) a bad report.

Below the Bavarian energy mix, which is not sustainable as it is.

© Harry Koerber/Imago/VBEW

Hardly any wind power, no electricity storage and nothing planned.

In an interview, the Bavarian energy expert Detlef Fischer explains why the Tyroleans in particular earn money with Bavarian solar power and for which mistakes by the CSU government we have to pay for today.

Munich - It's still over 30 degrees, but in two months the heating season will start - and with it the fear of an energy shortage.

That shouldn't have been the case, says Detlef Fischer, General Manager of the Association of Bavarian Energy and Water Management (VBEW).

In an interview, Fischer explains where Bavaria stands – and where it should stand.

Mr. Fischer: Since 2014, with the introduction of the 10H regulation, the expansion of wind power has decreased every year.

Was the rule a mistake?

Fischer:

For every kilowatt hour that we generate with wind, we don't have to convert any gas into electricity.

And no Prussian understands why the landscape in Bavaria should be more worthy of protection than that in Lower Saxony.

Bavaria has not dealt with the energy supply for 20 years - and made key mistakes

Where Markus Söder would like to get the electricity from.

But this requires high-performance power lines that will be ready in five years at the earliest.

Wouldn't that have been quicker?

Fisherman:

Definitely.

This is one of the central mistakes of our state government.

At that time, Horst Seehofer coined the term "monster routes" and thus gave the floor to the protesting residents.

This severely delayed the expansion.

For the last 20 years, Bavaria has not dealt with the energy supply.

In fact, no one expects that.

But the energy industry should have been left to work in peace and not thrown a spanner in the works.

(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you about all the important stories from Bavaria. Register here.)


The problem with photovoltaics: it supplies electricity when it is not needed

However, the Free State of Bavaria is the federal leader when it comes to solar power.

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Fischer:

Almost 70 percent of Bavaria's green electricity output is photovoltaics (PV).

However, it only accounts for just over 30 percent of the electricity generated.

80 percent of PV electricity is generated in summer, not in winter, when we depend on every kilowatt hour.

That's not yet a needs-based energy supply, that's good marketing, those are platitudes.

Until solar power is stored long-term on a large scale using hydrogen or hydroelectric power, it will hardly be of any use to us in winter.

I say that as an absolute photovoltaic fan - but I also know what the technology can and cannot do.


Climate-neutral Bavaria by 2040?

"Franz Josef Strauss would have made sure that it was realized"

Fischer:

If he wants to be climate-neutral before the federal government - that is, by 2040 at the latest - he must motivate his country to expand renewables itself, otherwise he will lose credibility.

You have to show society, with clear words and deeds, what the goal is and what is required to achieve it.

The promise that you want to take everyone with you - that's just not possible with such a major renovation.

Climate neutrality by 2040 is the biggest task since the war - and soon to be a national goal.

A Franz Josef Strauss would have ensured that it was implemented, but he also had a different people than the current state government.


Markus Söder wants wind power and fracking gas from the north - what can and must he do in Bavaria?

Biomass and hydropower have an above-average share of the generated electricity in Bavaria.

Photovoltaics makes a comparatively small contribution, although it accounts for almost 70 percent of the installed capacity.

© Harry Koerber/Imago/VBEW/State Office for Statistics

Nuclear power plant Isar 2: "I'm already sure today, we will need it"

The state government wants to leave the Isar 2 and Gundremmingen nuclear power plants connected to the grid or start them up again.

Is that possible - and what would it bring?

Fischer:

With Isar 2, I'm convinced that it can be done at a reasonable cost if the operator wants it.

At Gundremmingen I'm too far away, so you have to ask the operators in any case.

But you have to see: the teams were sent into early retirement and the dismantling of such a system is a huge logistical effort.

The relevant service providers have already been commissioned - if the dismantling is postponed, the demolition companies will rightly demand compensation because contracts would be broken.

That makes politics a bit easy.

Nuclear power is not a light switch.


And what would Isar 2 bring?

Fischer:

The power plant reliably delivers more than ten percent of the electricity output required in Bavaria - that's not a small amount.

The result of the second stress test at the end of August will officially show whether we really need it.

I am already very sure today that we will need it.


Bavaria has a relatively large amount of biomass and hydropower in the electricity mix.

Does that help?

Fischer:

In addition to hydropower, biomass in particular is important: If you look at our total energy consumption – i.e. including heating, fuel and process heat – renewables account for 25 percent.

Biomass alone accounts for 15 percent.

This is due to two things: Wood heating systems cover a lot.

But combined heat and power plants that work with biomass also generate a lot of heat in addition to electricity - in a roughly 50/50 ratio.

And the systems are base load capable, so they can run day and night.

As a result, quite large amounts of generated and controllable energy add up, even with relatively little installed capacity per system.


Pumped storage power plants are perfect for buffering power.

How is Bavaria doing?

Fischer:

At around 14 percent, hydropower has a high share of Bavarian electricity.

But a lot comes from run-of-river power plants in rivers that cannot be stored.

For comparison: In German-speaking countries there are around nine terawatt hours of water storage.

Almost six of them in Switzerland, almost three in Austria.

Bavaria has almost nothing.


How could that happen?

Fischer:

For a long time, storage power plants were considered unprofitable.

Operators used to be able to sell at the midday and evening peaks.

Thanks to photovoltaics, however, the midday peak has disappeared.


Bavaria lacks the storage power plants - "It's really fun for the Tyroleans"

The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs also refers to a report from 2014 that confirms the lack of profitability.

But the same report also emphasizes the opportunities offered by the expansion of renewables.

Today, Austria can buy Bavarian solar power cheaply during the day and, when the sun isn't shining, sell it back at a high price.

Fischer:

That's really fun for them.

A new power plant is currently being built in Kühtai/Tyrol.

You have to blame the state government for not supporting new projects – like the one on Jochberg.

The justification was always that they were not profitable.

So you looked for reasons why you don't have to support it.

In truth, however, they only bowed to the public protests, even though there was an investor.

But without the backing of the government, nobody tackles a project like this: It costs several hundred million euros.

The Schlegeis reservoir at an altitude of 1782 meters in the Zillertal Alps in Tyrol stores up to 130 million cubic meters of water in order to generate electricity.

© Imago

According to an expert report, there is potential for around 1.1 gigawatts of pumped storage capacity in Bavaria.

Should they be realised?

Fisherman:

I'm for it.

In the end, hydrogen has an efficiency of 25 percent, hydropower 75 percent. This means we can make a significant contribution to using the surplus from the sun and wind in the dark doldrums.

And once it's up, like the Walchensee power plant, it's a tourist magnet.


What role can wind power play?

Fischer:

We have enough windy locations to use wind power.

In my opinion, there must be an additional 2000 plants.

Because wind and solar regularly complement each other very well, which means that the wind also blows at night when the sun is definitely not shining.

Not always but often.

And especially in winter, photovoltaics are hardly available, because we need a source that generates the electricity in the necessary quantities.

The times when both are not available, we still cover with the conventional power plant park.

In the future we will need hydrogen, pump storage and biomass plants.

All news and stories from Bavaria can now also be found on our brand new Facebook page Merkur Bayern.



Source: merkur

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