(Hannover) – In order to break free from the dependence on Russia and Asia for energy supply, the energy transition must now be implemented “bottom-up” and “at full speed”. The technology organization VDE, the GreenTEC Campus, the Federal Association for Critical Infrastructures (BSKI) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed today that accelerated self-sufficiency with renewable energies (RE) in both the kilowatt and megawatt range is possible in the short term the press conference at the Hanover Fair. To this end, industry, cities and municipalities must make better use of their existing areas and make them available for renewable energies. The approval process as well as the network and storage expansion must be accelerated and hydrogen must be produced inexpensively. “We have to support those who are willing by reducing bureaucracy and streamlining and accelerating approval processes. If we pull together, we will be able to supply ourselves with renewable energies completely independently and at short notice,” agreed the VDE, GreenTEC Campus and BSKI. In order to stabilize supply chains and expand technology know-how and transfer, Europe and the USA would have to move closer together and play to their strengths, MIT added
Complete self-sufficiency in Germany is possible in the next few years. However, more investments must be made in excellent research adapted to the market and the framework conditions, including in storage capacity and the adaptation of the grids, and the European renewable energy industry must be strengthened. The investors urgently needed for the energy transition are there. “We just have to put them in touch with the key companies and start-ups now. The VDE, as a neutral technical and scientific organization, offers the platform for networking here,” said Burkhard Holder, VDE Renewables. He is already in contact with family foundations. The bigger challenge, however, is recruiting the skilled workers.
Use every roof
In order to cover our entire energy requirements from renewable sources, a massive expansion of the PV output is necessary, in addition to a number of other measures. In recent years, only a maximum of 5 GWp per year has been installed. In order to catch up, a bottom-up approach is necessary, especially in the PV sector. Industry, cities and municipalities offer huge, untapped potential. They must make better use of their existing areas – on industrial and commercial roofs, above parking areas, on motorways or open-pit lakes – and make them available for PV systems. “Many industrial and trading companies have already recognized the advantage. “It’s time that renewable energies were also used across the board in Germany,” warns Holder, adding: “And to clear up a fairy tale: Volatile solar power does not endanger the security of supply. This could even be improved with the expansion of photovoltaics. What used to be around 30 minutes of disruption per year is now around ten minutes.”
Expand production capacities in Europe
The expansion with photovoltaics must progress quickly – and not only in Germany, but worldwide. For Europe in particular, this means that the supply chains along photovoltaic production must be secured. There is currently a large dependency on supplies from Asia. The gas deliveries from Russia show how harmful such dependencies are. It is therefore necessary to strengthen industrial production in Europe again. Due to the excellent research infrastructure, modern mechanical engineering and the growing domestic market, Europe and Germany in particular are in a good position. Political support, for example through Important Projects of Common European Interest – IPCEI, analogous to the development of battery production, are measures to accelerate industrial PV production in Germany and Europe and thus ensure long-term energy sovereignty.
bring wind power to the consumer
Wind power is essential for security of supply. And for these, in turn, adapted networks and storage infrastructure. In Schleswig-Holstein alone, there has been considerable potential in wind power generation for years, which has been unused due to the curtailment of the plants and the lack of adapted grids and storage infrastructure. “Electricity consumption in Schleswig-Holstein is not actually covered at the same time by wind power, but in purely mathematical terms around 160 percent is covered by wind power,” calculated Marten Jensen, GreenTEC Campus. “However, some of the wind farms had to be shut down for days just because the grids are insufficient and there is a lack of storage. At the same time, we have a catastrophic regenerative undersupply in the heat and transport sectors,” said Jensen. He sees the time for a fresh start. “Every day on our campus, we show how the excess electricity can be transferred to the transport and heat sectors as well as the new data center sector. If all generators are efficiently interconnected, we can intelligently compensate for power fluctuations.” A right mix of large and small wind turbines as well as decentralized and local generators is necessary here. What else can we learn from the crisis – pressure to act, for accelerated and combined energy and mobility transition towards a symbiosis of both areas. Jensen’s vision is for electromobility to be available as a mobile emergency power generator: “You have to be aware that the 620,000 registered vehicles in Germany today, with an average battery capacity of 55kWh, already have 34,000 MWh of mobile energy on the road.”
Hydrogen as a key technology
Hydrogen is one of the key elements in the energy transition. In order for hydrogen to establish itself as an energy source across the board, it must be produced at market prices, in sufficient quantities and in a climate-neutral manner. The focus is on electrolysis. The green hydrogen obtained in this way can be stored seasonally and brought to consumers. There are consumers in all sectors, regardless of whether it is reconversion into the grid, fuel cell mobility or in the heating sector – the temporal and local decoupling of production in renewable energy systems from use by consumers is one of the greatest advantages. This requires inexpensive, safe hydrogen storage and transport systems as well as fuel cells and new processes in energy-intensive industries. Hydrogen terminals must already be planned for the import of hydrogen and its distribution. Although Germany is in a good position to do this, the task now is to establish the technology provided in the entire energy market, even beyond the start-up financing. To this end, the VDE develops tailor-made solutions for the finance and insurance industry and their customers.
Back to start
Corona and the war in Ukraine have shown the West the impact of an enormous dependence on unstable supply chains and sources that are not disruptive. The West has woken up from its slumber. the number of
Production facilities for EE or microchips has increased massively. Companies such as Meyer Burger in the PV sector, Bosch in the microelectronics and hydrogen sectors show that Europe is returning. “It’s not about de-globalization. It’s about Germany/Europe being on an international level again through political, social and technological sovereignty in the tension triangle of digitization-decarbonization-sovereignization. So that we can play our role as mediator and shaper between the two world powers USA and China, we are finally coming out of our slipper cinema with cola in our left hand and popcorn in our right,” concluded Ansgar Hinz, CEO of the VDE Group. Vice Chancellor and Economics Minister, Robert Habeck, added in his message to the VDE, GreenTEC Campus, BSKI and MIT: “An accelerated energy transition is the be-all and end-all for a cheap, independent and secure energy supply. Digitization provides the basis with the necessary technologies for all to network this. This then also leads to sovereignization and resistance to disruption in Germany, Europe and the world.”
Source and contact address:
(VDE) Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies Melanie Unseld, Spokesperson Stresemannallee 15, 60596 Frankfurt am Main Telephone: (069) 63080, Fax: (069) 6312925
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