Austria must supply itself with CO2-free energy by 2040. For the first time, there is now a concrete plan for how the electricity and gas networks should be expanded in order to make optimal use of wind and solar energy, hydrogen, etc. This will cost eleven billion euros, which will have to be paid by consumers.
In concrete terms, nine billion euros will flow to the high-voltage grid. Major projects include approximately 430 kilometers of new lines, 70 transformer stations and 25 substations. “Renewable electricity is increasingly generated in eastern Austria via solar photovoltaic and wind energy systems and must be brought to the west, for example to pumped storage power stations. In addition, there are expansion routes such as in the Ennstal, where voestalpine will operate its steel plant in Donawitz with electric furnaces in the future,” explains Gerhard Christiner, head of network operator APG.
Thanks to the sunny and windy weekend, much more green energy is currently being generated in eastern Austria than can be passed on. In the first quarter, Austria covered a total of 87 percent of its needs with its own green energy, a record figure, says Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler.
300 kilometers of new pipelines for biogas and hydrogen
When it comes to gas, energy from Russia must increasingly be replaced by domestic biomethane (from agricultural waste, etc.) and hydrogen. For this purpose, 1,400 kilometers of existing pipelines can be converted, plus another 300 kilometers of new construction to connect the emerging hydrogen production, for example in the north of Burgenland, with large consumers in industry. Bernhard Painz of gas network operator AGGM expects costs of two billion euros for this.
The new “Austrian Network Infrastructure Plan” aims to coordinate all of this and handle it cost-effectively. The costs are paid by the consumer via the relevant network rates, which are part of the electricity or gas bill. Consumers would feel this, but it would spread over many years and therefore be bearable, they say.
The second advantage of the plan is that the specific projects included in it are defined as “public interest” and have already undergone a preliminary environmental impact assessment. This should enable the expansion projects more quickly, as the time to 204o is already extremely short, says Gewessler.
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.
