German grid operators warn of future power imports

Germany’s grid operators fear that from 2020 the country may have to import electricity in extreme cases of adverse weather, as more and more conventional power plants are taken offline, Daniel Wetzel writes for Die Welt. The four transmission grid operators’ scenario analysis shows that domestic power plants may not fully meet the country’s demand on 15 January 2020, chosen as a moment when power reserves are potentially at their lowest and demand at its highest. Wetzel quotes a spokesperson for the grid regulator as saying the analysis is purely theoretical. Currently, Germany is a net exporter of electricity and has one of the world’s most secure power supplies.

Read the article in German here.

For background on the supply security read the factsheet German grid stable amid energy transition and for German power exports check the factsheet on Germany’s energy consumption and power mix.