Germany plans $79 billion in energy investments

[georges]

from WNN:

"The German energy industry will invest more than €60 billion ($79 billion) by 2020 in constructing and modernizing power plants, partly to compensate for the phase-out of nuclear energy in the country, according to a utility lobby group."

The German Association of Energy and Water Industries (Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft, BDEW) says that some 84 large power projects are planned, each of which will add at least 20 MWe of generating capacity. These facilities include 23 offshore wind farms, 29 gas-fired plants, 17 coal-fired plants and 10 pumped-storage power plants and have a combined capacity of 42,000 MWe.

Speaking at the opening of the 2012 Hannover Fair, BDEW chairman Hildegard Müller said,:

'The energy sector is optimistic about the future despite the known risks associated with the considerable investment needed for the development of large renewable facilities. The increased commitment to including offshore units and pumped storage plants is a positive sign that the industry is investing in future energy supply.' However, he warned that this optimism 'should not hide the fact that there are not only obstacles for renewable energy projects, but also for coal and gas power plants.'""



It absolutely baffles me how the German government can be so.......short sighted. Taking nuclear plants off line that have already been paid for and are just cranking out almost free electricity is a terrible shame.


Note that they are adding 17 coal fired plants.

[David B Benson]

Ah, but the Germans are going to purchase offsets for burning that coal.

[stevek9]

No more short-sighted than their economic policies, which are wrecking the EMU. Although I think a rebellion is at hand.

[stevek9]

Sorry, I guess that was a bit off-topic. Germany's energy policy will either be viewed as brilliant (very unlikely) or silly in the next 10-20 years. The country that should be showing the way is the US, but it is much more likely to be China.

[Luke Weston]

We might see a bit of history repeating, just like we saw it play out in Europe after Chernobyl.

There will be knee-jerk anti-nuclearism from the pollies in response to public demand, talk of nuclear phase-outs, but as a few years pass they will probably just quietly phase out the phase-out when the public knee-jerk settles down and they realise that that is an economically and environmentally nutty decision, just like we've started to see in Sweden, Italy etc. over the last few years.

[QuarkingMad]

I'm going to have to dig for this article, however it said that Germany will have to spend 1.7 trillion Euros due to their Nuclear Phase out, renewable targets, and related emission requirements.

I'll have a look for the article but I believe the figure came from Seimens.

Edit: Found it! spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/nuclear/siemens-says-germany-nuclear-phase-out-to-cost-trillions

[sod]

actually Germany (and the german people) is doing a good job in BLOCKING new coal plants, as can be seen on this map:

www.bund.net/themen_und_projekte/klima_energie/kohlekraftwerke_stoppen/geplante_standorte/

You must not forget, that Germany is ruled by a conservative party (CDU under Merkel).

These are deeply engaged with the coal power industry. and it also shows, how dramatic Fukushima was: the energy minister new from the first day, that we were dealing with full meltdown and what consequences this would have for the conservative party and their planned expansion 8longer running time) of nuclear power...