RWE says Germany must lose no more time with new gas plant auction after EU approval
dpa/ Die Welt
Energy company RWE has urged Germany’s government to hurry up with plans to build new gas-fired power plants, following the European Commission's approval of state support for 12 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, news agency dpa reported in an article published by newspaper Die Welt. “We wish to see that happen as soon as possible,” said RWE CEO Markus Krebber. Germany’s government now must iron out final details with the Commission and present the new auction design before the summer break.
It would be "a major disappointment” if the government does not manage to award the construction to companies before the end of autumn, the energy manager said. Auctions should be kept simple and pragmatic to ensure that bids are submitted, he added. The plants are supposed to be partly ready to run on green hydrogen, but details on the requirement are not yet clear.
The German government and the EU Commission agreed on the plan tabled by the country’s economy ministry after it had scaled back its ambitions from an initial 20 GW of new capacity. The German government wants to use the plants as backup capacity for times of little output by wind and solar power installations, so-called “Dunkelflaute” (dark doldrums) periods, as the country’s shift to renewable energy continues.
The new gas plants had initially been planned in the previous government’s Power Plant Security Act and auctions were originally supposed to take place two years ago, but the plan failed due to the collapse of chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition.
Energy industry representatives have urged economy minister Katherina Reiche to quickly agree on a scheme with the EU since she took office in May 2025, after progress was hampered by her initial idea to greatly inflate the new gas plant capacity. If the auctions for the new plants go ahead as planned before the end of 2026, the first plants are expected to enter into operation by 2031.