Germany’s Ministry of Economy and Energy has published the “Monitoring report on the energy transition” paper, which lists ten key measures for reforming the transition process. These include pragmatism in making progress with hydrogen by reducing bureaucracy and expanding renewables and grid capacity with an emphasis on local flexibility.
In a statement by steel federation WV Stahl, its managing director Kerstin-Maria Rippel reiterated the plea for a reduction of energy costs for energy-intensive industries. Also, “in order to safeguard electricity supply in times when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, sufficient back-up capacities need to be available,” Kallanish hears from Rippel.
Mechanical engineering association VDMA issued a joint statement with union IG Metall. The union and VDMA section VDMA Power Systems had earlier commissioned a study of their own, which they say they see as complementary to the government’s monitoring report. Among other things, they criticise the ministry for giving too much weight to the cost factor of the transition.
“The government should not only look at the costs, but also at the preservation of jobs and the value added in Germany and Europe,” says Jürgen Kerner, deputy chairman of IG Metall. “The cost of the grid expansion will go up, and we need financial support for it in the long term.”
Christian Koehl Germany
