Energy - Senate decides to merge electricity grid and gas grid
The municipal energy grid operators Gasnetz Hamburg and Stromnetz Hamburg are to be merged into a cross-divisional grid company in 2024. This was announced by the environmental and finance authorities on Thursday following a corresponding decision by the Senate the previous day. The decision to merge the electricity and gas grids is a consequence of the referendum in 2013 and the complete buyback of the grid companies by the City of Hamburg. "The newly formed grid company will bundle forces in order to efficiently advance the essential grid expansion and conversion for the energy transition across all sectors," the press release states.
Initially, the focus will be on the merger under company law. "The organizational merger will be implemented cautiously and in close coordination with co-determination by 2027," it continued.
The trade unions Verdi and IG Metall explained in a joint statement that the responsible authorities had made "far-reaching concessions towards co-determination and the trade unions so that an accepted and successful new company can emerge from this political will for the merger ".
The merged grid company will reportedly supply around 1.49 million customers in the Hanseatic city with electricity and gas and employ more than 2,300 people.
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- The energy transition in Hamburg requires an efficient grid expansion and conversion across all sectors, which is why the Senate has decided to merge the environmentally-focused Gasnetz Hamburg and Stromnetz Hamburg, two key players in the city's gas and electricity networks.
- The proposed merger of Gasnetz Hamburg and Stromnetz Hamburg will result in a unified cross-divisional grid company that provides electricity and gas to approximately 1.49 million customers in the Hanseatic city and employs over 2,300 workers.
- In order to ensure that the energy transition is successful, the newly formed grid company will need to ensure a stable power grid, which requires careful merger under company law by 2027, with due consideration given to co-determination by the trade unions Verdi and IG Metall.
- The gas grid and electricity grid merger was a consequence of a referendum held in 2013, and the complete buyback of the grid companies by the City of Hamburg, which demonstrates the local population's strong desire for a sustainable energy future.
- To prevent gas leaks and encourage the use of alternative energy sources, the merged grid company will need to invest in the maintenance and upgrading of the gas network and the installation of renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, ensuring a secure and reliable energy supply for the city of Hamburg.
Source: www.stern.de
