The battle for the lignite
Alexander Fröhlich
Why is fought so bitterly over the future of power generation in the Lausitz
Potsdam - Brandenburg is again in a fierce debate over the future of lignite and coal in power plants Lusatian broken out as much about the controversial CCS technology to capture and geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). Had kicked off the debate, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber. The chief of the prestigious, internationally renowned Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) said on Tuesday he thought the electricity for non-sustainable. As a corporate consultant, he would recommend to the energy group Vattenfall an exit.
Did the brown coal have a future?
That's the big question! Climate Impact Research, environmental activists, the Green Party and an opponent of underground CO2 Spreicher keep the electricity on the way out. The main reason is lignite-fired power plants are the true polluters. There is the emission of harmful CO2 emissions two-thirds higher than for gas power plants and twice as much as in coal-fired power plants. Proponents of the brown coal on the other hand are looking for solutions to reduce CO2 emissions. They also keep coal power plant is indispensable on the way to complete transition to renewable energies. On climate policy if there is consensus. By 2050, the federal government to reduce its emissions of the gas to zero. The dispute is over what to go as quickly exit the coal vonstatten. The future of brown coal is so limited anyway.
Lignite power is needed?
With the nuclear phase-out of federal government power producers and network operators are facing a problem. The electricity from wind, solar and biogas provides significant fluctuations in the network, which could be compensated with nuclear power is relatively flexible. The last nuclear power plants will be removed from power in 2022. The main argument of proponents is coal: To keep the load in the network due mainly confronted and had to compensate for fluctuations, brown-coal power plants need. From a bridge technology is mentioned. The bezweifeltn but the critics: Because lignite power plants are less efficient than gas-or coal-fired power plants. Generally, even the latest coal-fired power plants are not good up and down are driven. While the efforts to achieve higher efficiency are large, especially when the throttle but is still researching. Gas power plants are a clear advantage. Even the PIK has calculated that the energy required for turning a few new power plants.
What is the cost?
PIK-chief Schellnhuber, but also experts from organizations of Greenpeace keep electricity from brown coal in 2013 for non-competitive. Then there is the EU in the trade of CO2 emission allowances for seriously. Year after year, reduced the total allowable amount of the greenhouse gas that may be blown into the air. Does the market, prices are rising for certificates, and thus the cost of CO2 emissions. Vattenfall would match its power stations as a highly modern and efficient. Brown coal is also competitive so after 2013. Because the dirty but can be converted into electricity and less flexible, contact experts, self-Brandenburg's Economics Ministry on gas-fired power plants in order to get the transition to energy systems. Coal supporters like to warn against the unpredictable gas suppliers Russia and emphasize lignite is the only available solar geysers sources of energy in this country and even the chemical industry brash. Recently, again makes the idea of gasoline from coal around.
Acts as the provincial government?
Minister-President Matthias Platzeck (SPD) wants to hold on to the brown coal, to competitive electricity supply from renewable energy sources, is carried out safely and in stable, socially acceptable prices. At the same time he also stresses that Brandenburg is the German champion in the "renewables". The local electricity consumption is already covered to 60 percent from the year 2020, this is completely possible. At the same time, much of the brown coal electricity is exported. Platzeck also advocates the CCS technology to store CO2 underground deposit and how it intends also Vattenfall. The future of power generation with CCS has been Platzeck, the government is supporting several projects to test and Ketzin in Schwarze Pumpe. However, federal law provides for a one Länderausstiegskelausel, whereby each state may reject CO2 storage on his property. The declines of Brandenburg, because it will not allow a single controversial "unload". Now the government seeks a way out, referring to the EU's plans for a CO2 pipeline network and business opportunities in Norway, save money compared to the greenhouse gas underground. However, this is all still political future. In addition to the climate policy is about the future of the Lausitz and thousands of jobs that depend on coal. There is no master plan, a "Plan B" for structural change in the Lausitz brown coal without it. The IHK Cottbus wants more support from the countryside, but sees no strategy so far from Potsdam to the Lausitz to lead to a new future.
What is brown coal power politics?
The problem with the adherence to the lignite power is from the perspective of the PIK, but also Greenpeace: the first time, new lignite-fired power plants built, could be about lobbying the exception rules enforced, softened the zero-CO2 targets and emissions trading can be bypassed. The energy transition would be slowed down.
