Time is running out for the energy transition in Bavaria
According to the energy industry, time is running out to achieve the state government's goal of a climate-neutral Bavaria by 2040. In order to achieve the target, green electricity production in Bavaria would have to "at least triple, if not quintuple and, above all, stabilize" by 2040, says Detlef Fischer, Managing Director of the Bavarian Energy and Water Industry Association (VBEW).
"The tasks ahead of us are epochal," says Fischer. The expansion requirements were estimated by the Munich-based Forschungsgesellschaft für Energiewirtschaft (FfE) on behalf of the VBEW. According to this estimate, the following capacities would have to be put into operation week by week in Bavaria by the target year of 2040: Ground-mounted solar plants with a total area of at least 50 soccer pitches, 2,800 roof-mounted solar plants with an output of 10 kilowatts each and - also every week - two new wind turbines with an output of 5.5 megawatts each. This can be read in the "Bavarian Energy Plan 2040" published in spring.
Bavarian electricity production has fallen due to the shutdown of nuclear power plants. According to the head of the VBEW, a rough estimate of around 65 terawatt hours of electricity will be generated in 2024.
Demand could rise to "over 200 terawatt hours per year by 2040 if industry decarbonizes using electricity and we use electricity to heat our homes and drive our cars," says Fischer. Even with a sharp increase in the expansion of green electricity generation, Bavaria will have to import up to a third of the electricity it needs, according to the "Bayernplan".
To meet the energy demands of a decarbonized industry and electrified homes and transportation, Bavaria might need to import up to a third of its electricity by 2040. This significant import reliance highlights the importance of exploring alternative energy sources, such as Hydrogen, which can be produced from excess green electricity.
Given the ambitious expansion goals, harnessing the potential of hydrogen energy could provide a sustainable solution for storing and transporting excess electricity, thereby contributing to Bavaria's energy transition objectives.
Source: www.dpa.com
