Last December, more electricity than ever was imported into Germany in just a few days. On December 21, imports reached a historic daily high of 100.5 gigawatt hours, a day later the highest import output within 15 minutes was recorded at 5551.6 megawatts.
The electricity network operator APG (Austrian Power Grid) announced this in a broadcast on Monday. The record values were the result of a combination of several factors, in particular the low production from renewable energy sources would have played a role. In concrete terms, in December just over half (54 percent) of household electricity consumption was covered by renewable energy sources. Hydropower accounts for the largest part of this.
Tendency to conserve electricity
Compared to November, people in Austria consumed eight percent more electricity in December (consumption of 5649 GWh). However, compared to the years 2017 to 2021, the population used slightly less. For APG, a “trend towards energy saving is still recognizable”.
Since the increase in renewable energy sources and the constantly increasing demand for electricity pose challenges for the network infrastructure, so-called redispatch measures are necessary. Powerful loads are counteracted by targeted interventions in the use of power plants such as gas or hydropower plants. Such measures were needed for 18 days in December. That cost 94 million euros last year, which ultimately had to be paid by the customers.
“A powerful electricity grid with sufficient capacity would significantly reduce intervention in power plants and reduce costs. The immediate expansion of the network infrastructure is therefore a top priority,” said CFO Thomas Karall.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
