Don't Sleep

Up to now, my understanding of the Energiewende was that the main problem was energy storage when changing from fossil or nuclear to renewable energy sources. The wind may not blow, and the sun may not shine when the demand for electrical power is high. Renewable energy generated during periods of high production and low consumption must be stored and retrievable on demand. In the case of Germany, an aggravating factor is the spatial distribution of renewable energy. Wind parks generating lots of electricity are situated in the north, while the power is needed in the south. New direct current lines must be built, meaning an investment of several billion euros over the coming years.

You can imagine my frustration when I read the other day that a pumped-storage hydropower station (PSHPS) planned in the south of the Black Forest near Atdorf may not be built. The reason is that, due to the current overproduction of electricity, even the 30 existing PSHPSs, with a total potential power of 7 gigawatts, are no longer profitable in Germany. As an example, a written-off PSHPS near Dresden from 1926 is mentioned. In 2009, the unit generated power for 2800 hours, whereas in 2012, it operated for only 280 hours. No wonder the electricity company has no interest in the necessary and urgent installation and renovation work. Under these circumstances, it was evident that private electricity companies wanted to avoid investing 1.7 billion euros in a new PSHPS at Atdorf.

Europe's biggest existing PSHPS, the Schluchseewerk, with a power of 1800 megawatts
 is located in the Black Forest (©BZ).

The situation, however, will change. On June 30, 2011, following the Fukushima disaster, the German Bundestag voted by a significant majority to immediately shut down 8 of Germany's 17 nuclear power stations, with the others to be phased out by the year 2022. When the last reactor is shut down and most coal-fired power stations are scrapped, it is estimated that Germany will need an energy storage capacity of at least 40 billion kilowatt-hours to buffer wind and solar energy production by the year 2050.

This is why many regard the energy policy of the present government as short-sighted, at the least; some would even call it chaotic. PSHPSs may turn the pumped-up water masses into electricity without delay. In addition, most experts claim that these installations are more eco-friendly than power-to-gas solutions, in which abundant renewable electricity is used to produce hydrogen or methane, which is then fed into the existing gas grid.

The argument that the PSHPS Atdorf will fill the pockets of electricity companies
  no longer holds  (©BZ)

From the beginning, the local Greens of Atdorf opposed the PSHPS project, objecting to the decision by the Greens in the Baden-Württemberg State Government. The opposition smirked: The Greens are against green electricity. The local "Not in our backyard" objectors argued for preserving nature.

The electricity company's unexpected decision to withdraw from the PSHPS project left supporters and opponents deeply perturbed. The local Greens suspect a deceptive maneuver and cite Günter Eich: "Schlaft nicht, wenn die Geschäftigen der Welt mit eurer Schläfrigkeit rechnen" (Don't sleep when the busy people of this world count on your sleepiness).

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