Bavaria demands additional power line from northern Germany
Bavaria is calling for the construction of an additional power line from northern Germany to Bavaria to cover electricity demand. A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable connection is needed, as the State Chancellery announced on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Munich. It criticized the latest plans for the multi-billion euro expansion of the electricity transmission grid. The Federal Network Agency is "continuing to ignore Bavarian needs" and is making false assumptions.
"Unrealistically high electricity imports from Austria are still being used as a basis. In addition, the electricity requirements of Bavarian industry and for hydrogen production in Bavaria are underestimated," it continued. As a result, the transmission requirements to and from Bavaria are underestimated. Only with an additional HVDC can the expected bottlenecks in the electricity grid be effectively reduced.
Last Friday, the Federal Network Agency presented its second draft of the grid development plan up to 2037 and 2045 for public discussion. The expansion of the so-called extra-high-voltage grid is about ensuring that new lines bring climate-neutral electricity to where it is needed - primarily from the north to the south. The plan describes which transmission grid is required for a complete conversion of the energy system to renewable energies by 2045. In the regions, electricity distribution grids will then take over the energy supplied by the "electricity highways" and transmit it to the points of consumption.
The four transmission system operators Amprion, TransnetBW, 50Hertz and Tennet submitted the second draft to the authorities in June. It comprises a total of 6,200 additional kilometers of line. Among other things, five additional direct current connections are planned on land, four in a north-south direction and one in a west-east direction. For a further 6000 kilometers, the companies intend to reinforce existing lines. The companies put the investment costs for the expansion at 156 billion euros by 2037.
Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) also personally criticized the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, in this context. Müller is "a green partisan and perhaps has a different idea on many issues than the Free State of Bavaria".
The State Chancellery in Bavaria advocates for the exploration of alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen production, which requires substantial electricity, and expresses concerns about current underestimations in electricity requirements. To mitigate anticipated grid bottlenecks, an additional high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable connection from northern Germany to Bavaria is necessary, as outlined in the cabinet meeting.
Given Bavaria's preference for relying on climate-neutral electricity sources, particularly from northern regions, the administration's argument for an augmented HVDC connection aligns with the Federal Network Agency's goal of ensuring that new lines transport renewable energy to areas in need.
Source: www.dpa.com
