Ian Walter
Edited by: Stefanos Georgakopoulos
What many feared eventually came true. Russia has threatened to shut down its gas pipeline to Europe in response to Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. EU countries, including Germany, are now eagerly seeking short-term alternatives aimed at phasing out Russian energy imports.
There are various proposals on the table, including even extending the operation of nuclear power plants or coal-fired power plants. However, Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck made it clear that there are no taboos in the public debate on alternatives. Here are the most important:
Nuclear energy
The energy giants are willing to talk to the German authorities, but say from the outset that extending the operation of the remaining stations is not an easy task. They point out that thermocouples are missing, but also know-how because most of the nuclear power plants in Germany have either stopped operating or have been shut down based on a long-term plan by the Merkel government.
The three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany are scheduled to close by the end of 2022. They could produce about 4 gigawatts, equivalent to 7% of their electricity needs. Power consumption in Germany, however, reaches 35 to 40 gigawatts per night and 75-80 gigawatts per day. Consequently, the nuclear power plants could only operate in addition.
Carbon units
Christoph Nolten from the Foundation for Energy Infrastructure and Geothermal Energy IEG at the Frauenhofer Institute estimates that coal-fired power plants could meet some of their electricity needs. It recalls, however, that today only 17% of electricity consumption is covered by coal.
Almost 50% of German households’ heating and hot water needs, as well as business, trade and services, are met by natural gas. The remaining one third goes to industry.
It should be borne in mind, however, that the almost 7 million German households currently heated by natural gas cannot be connected to another grid overnight and powered by coal-fired units. An additional significant amount of coal in Germany comes from 55% of natural gas or 35% of oil from Russia.
LNG imports from other countries
It is clear that replacing Russian gas is not an easy task. So it should be imported from other countries, such as Qatar, Australia, Canada, and the USA. But most of these countries’ production has already been committed by other stakeholders to long-term agreements. Stocks in the spot gas market are estimated to meet marginally Germany’s needs.
In the coming weeks, Christoph Nolten and other members of the German research team TransHyDe will present a report on improving energy efficiency in Germany without Russian gas. In the interview with DW, the German expert did not want to reveal details about the experts’ proposals. But he gave a taste, saying that “today I do not see a real alternative to Russian gas.”
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