Power Plant Safety Act: Associations and companies want improvements – solar servers

The consultation on the Power Plant Safety Act (KWSG) has ended. The federal government wants its own by law Plant power strategy implement and package measures for new gas- and hydrogen-based power plants as well as long-term storage. In their statement, the German Renewable Energy Association (BEE) calls for a review of the Power Plant Safety Act (KWSG). The association criticizes that the federal government only wants to give new incentives to gas power plants ready H2. Instead, the KWSG should focus specifically on decentralized renewable energy plants, cogeneration and storage.

“A decentralized renewable energy system also requires a decentralized, flexibly controllable backup. Fossil fuel reserve power plants are not central and, at this time, climate neutral or intelligent. They are not even a cost-effective option,” said BEE President Simone Peter. “In contrast, the potential of domestic bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal energy, cogeneration systems and storage is, according to our calculations, 38 GW and is faster, cleaner, more sustainable and cheaper to construction of the gas-fired power plants ready H2.” BEE wants the tender criteria to be chosen so that there is no de facto decision about hydrogen-capable and non-hydrogen-capable natural gas power plants. In addition, the federal government should tighten the requirements in the KWSG for carbon storage and use (CCS/CCU).

Power Plant Safety Act Consultation: BDEW sees risks to power plant operators

On the other hand, the Federal Energy and Water Industry Association (BDEW), sees the proposed Power Plant Safety Act as an important step towards changing the energy supply. It is also important for the long-term security of electricity supply in Germany. However, the association fears risks for power plant operators. This relates, for example, to the timely and sufficient availability of hydrogen and its infrastructure. “To facilitate investments, basic points such as maximum prices, possibility of dual mode operation and level of penalties need to be reviewed. “Furthermore, there is a particular risk for municipal companies that need additional security to finance investments,” says Kerstin Andreae, Chairman of the BDEW Executive Board.

According to BDEW, the federal government should now quickly adopt the main points and results of the consultation on the Power Plant Safety Act into law so that tenders for H2 and H2-Sprinter ready power plants and long-term storage systems time too. as gas power plants can finally start. “It must be clear to everyone: if we do not start tenders at the beginning of 2025, the elimination of coal in 2030 will not work,” says Andreae. In addition, the BDEW asks the federal government take new funding measures when CHP funding ends at the end of 2026 to allow CHP systems to switch to hydrogen.

Funding for gas and blue hydrogen power plants puts climate protection goals at risk

The eco-energy cooperation Green Planet Energy criticizes the proposed funding. According to an analysis by the Ecological-Social Market Economy Forum (FÖS) on behalf of Green Planet Energy, state support for fossil power plants by 2045 prevents the achievement of climate goals and the goal for climate-neutral power supply by 2035. The eco-energy coalition wants a clear focus in the Power Plant Safety Act on green hydrogen and limiting natural gas power plants to the minimum necessary for security of supply .

The federal government’s proposed Power Plant Safety Act includes an offer of 12.5 GW of new power plant capacity. These include H2 ready gas power plants which will later be converted to hydrogen and natural gas power plants. The FÖS analysis shows that the intended climate protection effect cannot be achieved with amounts of fossil electricity from natural gas (232 TWh). In addition, upstream emissions would be completely ignored in the draft, which shifts the GHG balance of natural gas and blue hydrogen.

It is also a big problem that blue hydrogen should be promoted in the same way as green hydrogen. “The promotion of fossil hydrogen even until 2045 is not compatible with the goals of climate protection,” said Carolin Dähling, Head of Policy and Communications at Green Planet Energy: Instead, she wants the energy transition to consistently focus on green hydrogen, because this is the only way it is possible to effectively protect the climate. Furthermore, an oversupply of fossil power plants threatens to delay the energy transition: “Fossil subsidies for new natural gas power plants must not jeopardize critical investments in green flexibility – such as battery storage. Natural gas power plants must not set the tone, but must be used as a last resort to ensure security of supply,” said Dähling.

The short study “Funding for gas power plants: Costs and emissions of the Power Plant Safety Act” by the Forum for Ecological-Social Market Economics (FÖS) can be found under this link.