Energy crisis: Netzagentur boss wants to throttle electricity for e-cars
Created: 01/16/2023, 12:25 p.m
By: Patricia Huber
Electric cars and electricity-driven heat pumps could become a challenge for the electricity grid.
The Federal Network Agency is therefore planning a current throttling.
Bonn – The topic of electricity blackouts has been hotly debated in recent months.
So far it looks as if such a scenario will not occur.
But in view of the growing number of electric cars and electric heat pumps, the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, has now warned of overloading the power grid in Germany.
The increasing number of private electric car charging stations and electricity-driven heat pumps could overload the power grid.
"If a large number of new heat pumps and charging stations continue to be installed, then overload problems and local power failures in the distribution network are to be feared if we don't act," said Müller of the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
(FAS).
Electricity stop for e-cars and heat pumps: network agency presents plans
According to the newspaper report, the Bonn authority considers the local low-voltage local networks to be particularly prone to failure.
The network agency has therefore published a key issues paper that provides for temporary electricity rationing for heat pumps and electric car charging stations in times of high network utilization.
According to the newspaper, grid operators should then forcibly and centrally throttle the power supply of the systems.
According to the report, the electricity rationing plans are to come into effect on January 1, 2024.
However, the heaters and chargers should not be completely disconnected from the power supply in critical phases, Müller told the newspaper.
"We want to guarantee a minimum supply at all times."
Federal Network Agency boss Klaus Müller would like to restrict the private charging of electric cars - to protect the power grid.
© dpa/Oliver Berg/IMAGO / Martin Bäuml photo design
Instead of electricity rationing: Eon boss calls for network expansion
Even with electricity rationing, private charging stations would be able to obtain enough electricity to charge the battery of an electric car within three hours for a range of 50 kilometers.
In addition, according to the report, "almost trouble-free continued operation" should remain possible for a large number of heat pumps.
The board of directors of the Düsseldorf energy group Eon, Thomas König, meanwhile called for
a greatly accelerated expansion and modernization of the local and regional power grids in the
FAS .
In the newspaper he referred to numerous applications for the connection of new systems and waiting times of up to eight months for the connection of the systems to the power grid.
However, investments would be slowed down by lengthy approval procedures for construction measures lasting up to twelve years.
"That is completely out of the question," said König.
(pH/AFP)
