Confident apprehension in Lausitz following Reich's promises on gas supply
In the heart of Germany, the Lusatia region is set to play a significant role in the country's energy transition. According to the regional energy supplier, Leag, 3,000 megawatts of capacity will be shut down in the region by 2030, with an additional 4,000 megawatts following by 2038, marking the end of the region's long-standing reliance on brown coal [1].
The Lusatia region, a brown coal mining area in southern Brandenburg and northern Saxony, has been providing energy for Germany for years. However, the federal government's plans to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2038 have cast a shadow over the region's future [2].
To mitigate this, the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU, and SPD foresees the construction of gas power plants with a capacity of 20 gigawatts nationwide as a bridging technology to avoid power shortages during the energy transition [3]. The current plans for gas power plants in Lusatia involve constructing new gas-fired power plants as part of this strategy.
The federal government, via Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche, has emphasized that Lusatia will not be disadvantaged despite earlier references to a "southern bonus" favoring southern Germany [2]. Reiche highlighted Lusatia's excellent prerequisites, including proximity to a hydrogen core network, large industrial customers, and ongoing transformation efforts by energy company Leag, which operates lignite plants shifting to gas power [2].
The state government has raised concerns that the "south bonus" could distort competition to the disadvantage of cost-efficient eastern German locations and could lead to high energy costs for all consumers [4]. However, Reiche plans subsidies for energy companies in the south, known as the "south bonus," to support these projects through state subsidies and successive tender rounds [4].
The European Union has already approved more than half of Germany’s planned gas-plant expansions [2][3], providing regulatory backing and financial support to ensure secure and flexible energy supply during the transition away from coal and nuclear power.
Lusatia's existing infrastructure of power lines and the necessary expertise to operate gas power plants make it an ideal location for these projects [2]. IG BCE, the coal miners' union, wants firm guarantees for all three sites in Lusatia for potential gas power plant projects [5].
In the future, gas power plants in Lusatia could be converted to hydrogen, but Federal Minister Reiche has not provided concrete details on how or when this will happen [6]. Lars Katzmarek, spokesman for Lusatia in the SPD state parliamentary fraction, believes the conversion of gas power plants to hydrogen is relatively simple and involves exchanging turbines, combustion chambers, and associated systems [6].
Katzmarek also mentions the potential for large data centers in Lusatia, which would require electricity and could be supplied by gas power plants at favorable terms [7]. He believes it's only a matter of time before this changes, and the gas power plants could then be quickly converted to hydrogen.
However, concerns remain. Reni Richter, district chairwoman of the IG BCE in Lusatia, expressed concern about promises made in the past by Reiche's predecessor, Robert Habeck (Greens), not being fulfilled [8]. The brown coal power plant in Jaenschwalde is scheduled to go offline in 2028, and IG BCE's Richter expresses concern about the lack of clarity regarding its replacement [9].
This reflects a coordinated federal strategy to stabilize Germany’s energy system via gas as a transitional fuel, with Lusatia playing a significant role due to its existing infrastructure and transformation needs [1][2][3].
References:
- Tagesspiegel
- RBB
- Handelsblatt
- Tagesspiegel
- RBB
- RBB
- RBB
- RBB
- Tagesspiegel
Politics surrounding Germany's energy transition has brought general-news focus to the Lusatia region, with its coal-powered plants set to close by 2038. To mitigate the region's economic challenges, plans for gas power plants in Lusatia have emerged, aiming to serve as a bridging technology during the energy shift.
