Power Statistics - 2010 Edition - Full Report - Eurelectric

Supply
3.4 Comments
AUSTRIA (at)
The expansion of power generation in the upcoming years as well as the time of completion of new power
plants highly depends on the administrative procedure of applying the criteria of the environmental
impact assessments (UVP) legislation.
The estimates provided in this paper about future developments are based on currently published
information about investment projects provided by member companies and on energy forecasts of the
Austrian Institute of Economic Research.
The emphasis of future investment in the upcoming years in Austria’s electricity generation is placed in
the expansion of renewable energies. In terms of the implementation of the EU directive for increasing
the share of renewable energy sources, an Austrian-wide promotion system for “green” electricity and
combined heat and power plants was created in 2002 to raise the share of renewable energy sources
in the generation mix of electricity. The Austrian Green Electricity Act 2008 plans the development of
700 MW each for water and wind power and 100 MW for biomass by the year 2015. Investment in
thermal power plants (especially gas) is also planned to go along with increases in electricity demand.
GERMANy (de)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Data for “Steam Turbine Units”, “Gas Turbine Units”, “Combined Cycle Units”, “Internal Combustion
Units” and “Not specified Technology” in tables 3.1b and 3.3.1b are rough estimates.
The total net capacity of autoproducers (industry) was 10.5 GW in 2009. Additional demand will be
covered by the public utilities and private suppliers. Since 2000 the capacity of the German railway is
included in the public supply.
The net production of industrial autoproducers in 2009 amounts to 45.2 TWh or 8.1% of the total net
production whereas 26.7 TWh was delivered to the public grid.
The feed-in of private suppliers – predominantly wind power followed by biomass – amounts to 67.3 TWh
in 2009 meaning a share of 12.0% of total net production. The quota for renewables in total added up to
more than 16% in 2009.
The industrial consumption in 2009 was covered for 92% from the public grid. In some energy-intensive
industries such as the chemical industry, petroleum industry and mining, the manufacturing of paper or
metal production and the share of autoproduction is higher. Particularly in coal mining areas a closer
relationship exists between public utilities and industrial autoproducers.
LEGAL FACTS
On 1 January 2009, incentive regulation for grid operators started in Germany. The regulation scheme
contains a revenue-cap with two periods each lasting 5 years. Afterwards, a yardstick competition
scheme shall be implemented. Efficiency for grid operators was measured with a dual benchmarking,
whereof the better efficiency value is used. Smaller companies with less than 30,000 customers had
the opportunity to choose a simplified treatment, which allows them not to be part of the benchmarking.
In return, they accept a fixed rate of 87.5% for efficiency in the first period and the average efficiency
as a result of the benchmarking for the second period.
The Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG)) became effective in March
2000. The increase of the share produced by renewable energies is the declared aim of the EEG. Apart
from changes in the guaranteed fees for each kWh produced, the main improvements of the last
amendment concern the opportunities for a better integration of renewables into the market either by
direct marketing or additional incentives for delivering electricity into the market instead of utilising
the guaranteed fee. Additionally, since January 1 st , 2010, all fed-in amounts of renewable energy into
the grid due to the EEG has to be sold at the wholesale market (EPEX Spot). This is accomplished by
the TSOs, the legal foundation constitutes the Ausgleichsmechanismusverordnung (AusglMechVO). In
the last amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG)) coming
into effect on August 11 th , 2010 the feed-in tariffs for photovoltaics for new installations since July 1 st ,
2010 were decreased to slow down the costs induced by this technology. This led to the strong raise
of installed capacities in 2009 and the first half-year 2010. At mid-year 2010, more than 12,000 MW of
photovoltaics were installed in Germany representing more than 40% of PV capacities worldwide.
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