Germany's hunger for natural gas / "No plans" to change diesel tax
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources
The transformation of Germany鈥檚 energy system is likely to increase the demand for natural gas of the world鈥檚 biggest importer even further, a study by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) said. 鈥淲e can expect a significant growth in demand for natural gas, both in Germany and worldwide鈥�, Harald Andruleit of the BGR said in a press release. Germany accounts for almost one quarter of the EU鈥檚 natural gas imports and with a consumption of over 100 billion cubic metres per year, 鈥渋t鈥檚 among the world鈥檚 largest consumers鈥�, the BGR said. A reduction in European production means Germany is likely to become more dependent on imports from outside the EU, especially from Russia and the Middle East, it argued. The BGR said that renewables today accounted for 17 percent of the world鈥檚 primary energy consumption and were the fastest growing energy source. However, fossil energy use was also growing and additional renewable capacities were mostly used to cover growing energy demand.
Find the study in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Germany鈥檚 dependence on imported fossil fuels for background.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The German government has rejected a proposal by VW CEO Matthias M眉ller to abolish the tax privilege for diesel cars, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports. 鈥淭here are currently no plans by the federal government to change the taxation of diesel cars鈥�, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said. Acting transport minister Christian Schmidt also opposed another remark by M眉ller on introducing a so-called blue badge for vehicles meant to prevent vehicles with very high emissions from entering inner cities. 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite surprising that the car industry calls for driving bans鈥�, Schmidt said, adding that the scheme amounted to 鈥渆xpropriation of millions of diesel car owners鈥�. The transport ministry argued there already was a 鈥�powerful ad-hoc programme鈥� in place to improve air quality and prevent driving bans. However, the environment ministry seconded M眉ller by saying that diesel cars only merited a tax break if they are more environmentally friendly. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 look like that鈥檚 the case for now鈥�, a spokeswoman of environment minister Barbara Hendricks said.
Read the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 Dieselgate timeline for more information.
Reuters / manager-magazin.de
The German industry heavyweight Siemens has signed contracts worth about 700 million euros with the government of Libya to build two gas-fired power plants in the war-torn north African country, news agency Reuters reports. The company, which recently announced to cut thousands of jobs in its fossil power division, will add about 1.3 gigawatts to the country鈥檚 installed power generation capacity, Reuters says.
In a separate article on manager-magazin.de, Siemens CEO Joes Kaeser says the project in Libya was not going to alter the company鈥檚 plans to axe nearly 7,000 jobs in its fossil power division.
Read the Reuters article in English and the manager-magazin.de article in German .
stadt+werk
A new project by grid operator Tennet will facilitate the power supply from Germany鈥檚 offshore wind parks to the densely populated regions in the country鈥檚 west, business magazine stadt+werk reports. Tennet recently started construction of the extra-high voltage line from the North Sea to the Lower Rhine region further south, the article says. The new transmission line, which is slated for completion by 2021, was going to supply the western region both with offshore and onshore wind power from the north and provide important experience for constructing underground transmission cables, Tennet CEO Lex Hartman said.
Read the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 dossier The energy transition and Germany鈥檚 power grid for more information.
Welt Online
The Green Party is 鈥渟till ready for talks鈥� on becoming part of a possible government coalition in Germany, the party鈥檚 parliamentary group co-leader Katrin G枚ring-Eckardt has said in an interview with Welt Online. She said that her party would be ready for talks on forming a minority government with Angela Merkel鈥檚 conservative CDU/CSU alliance as well as for a renewal of talks on a so-called Jamaica coalition with the conservatives and the pro-business FDP, which dropped out of exploratory consultations in late November. 鈥淕ermany needs an ecologic and future-oriented government鈥�, G枚ring-Eckardt said, arguing that a possible renewal of the coalition between the conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) would mean a 鈥渟tandstill鈥� for German politics. However, she added that a minority government with the conservatives would only work for the Greens if it was possible to secure parliamentary majorities for important policy proposals, 鈥�such as the coal exit鈥�.
Find the interview in German (behind paywall).
See 威力彩玩法鈥檚 Coalition Watch for updates on Germany鈥檚 attempts to form a government.
German Wind Energy Association (BWE)
The use of 930 terawatt-hours of renewable gases could provide enough flexibility to sustain a greenhouse-gas neutral energy system in Germany by 2050, a study by energy advisors (enervis) for the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) and the association of natural gas storage operators (INES) finds. Existing storage facilities and the network for natural gas could be used for renewable gases and provide the necessary flexibility for the energy system and save money in the heating sector, the authors say. The gas would be generated from renewable sources in a 鈥減ower-to-gas鈥� process.
Find the press release and study in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet How can Germany keep the lights on in a renewable energy future? for background.
Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
The fact that offshore wind turbines produce more power than previously thought is good news in the long run but might currently rather lead to more problems, Jens Heitmann writes in an opinion piece for the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. 鈥淚f the nuclear reactors are gone and later also the coal plants, it鈥檚 commendable for an industrialised country to have at least one reliable source of power鈥�, Heitmann says. However, before Germany has expanded its grid capacity to transfer electricity from the windy north to industrial centres in the south, the additional load by offshore turbines that produce power almost all year round will 鈥渁ggravate鈥� the problem of clogged grids, he argues. Neighbouring countries like Denmark of Poland already have to cope with Germany鈥檚 excessive power production, which is why the European Commission ponders to split the German power market in two different price zones in the north and in the south, Heitmann says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it would be prudent for Germany to finish its power transmission lines that run through the country before pondering the construction of new offshore wind parks in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea鈥�, he writes.
See the 威力彩玩法 dossier Onshore wind power in Germany for information.
