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☆ German court throws out lower grid operator returns set by regulator
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Electrical power pylons with high-voltage power lines are seen next to wind turbines near Weselitz, Germany November 18, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A German court on Wednesday threw out the rates of return for power and gas network infrastructure operators set in 2021 by the grid regulator, saying companies were right to complain they were too low. The federal regulator, called the Bundesnetzagentur, had set permitted future returns for new power and gas infrastructure at 5.07%, versus 6.91% previously, leading 900 operators of local distribution networks to launch an appeal. The court in June heard test cases from 14 selected companies and upheld their arguments, it said in a statement. Leading power grid companies including E.ON (EONGn.DE) and EnBW (EBKG.DE) have said they need more money to remain competitive when billions of euros must be spent to accommodate more wind and solar power production plants on the grids.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Kerstin Andreae, Vera Eckert, Tom Kaeckenhoff, Mark Potter, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, E.ON, Thomson Locations: Weselitz, Germany, Ukraine

FRANKFURT/LONDON July 13 (Reuters) - Energy majors BP (BP.L) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) have won a 7 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind site auction in Germany worth a record 12.6 billion euros ($14.1 billion), allowing them entry to the central European market without a partnership. The awards for capacity due to come online in 2030 also excluded leading offshore wind developers, such as RWE (RWEG.DE) and Orsted (ORSTED.CO). AUCTION DESIGNThe 7 GW electronic auction officially opened in January and bidders had until June 1 to submit offers. In previous German lease auctions, companies have made low or negative bids with the expectation of subsidies from the state. Industry groups have said the high costs of the leases could drive up the cost of offshore wind projects.

Persons: Bundesnetzagentur, Bernstein, WindEurope, Orsted, Norway's, TotalEnergies, Vera Eckert, Susanna Twidale, Christoph Steitz, Ron Bousso, Nora Buli, Nina Chestney, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Energy, BP, Industry, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Macquarie, England, Danish

Companies Bp Plc FollowTotalEnergies SE FollowFRANKFURT/LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Oil majors BP (BP.L) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) emerged as the winners in a 7 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind site auction in Germany worth 12.6 billion euros ($13.96 billion), highlighting the appeal of renewable assets across Europe. "The results confirm the attractiveness of investments in offshore wind power in Germany," said Klaus Mueller, president of Germany's energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur. Analysts at Jefferies noted the high price for the auction, adding that it implied "high interest in European offshore wind sites from energy companies/developers". BP won the rights to develop two projects, marking its entry into offshore wind in continental Europe and representing 4 GW out of the total, it said in a separate statement. "This is a significant milestone for BP, showing our commitment to transitioning into an integrated energy company," BP head of offshore wind Matthias Bausenwein said.

Persons: Klaus Mueller, Matthias Bausenwein, Patrick Pouyanne, TotalEnergies, Vera Eckert, Christoph Steitz, Ron Bousso, Friederike Heine, Sharon Singleton, Chris Reese Organizations: Bp, Oil, BP, Jefferies, Federal, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, LONDON, Germany, Europe, Heligoland, Baltic, Ruegen, TotalEnergies, Frankfurt, London

☆ German energy regulator expects lower power reserve needs this winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Network Agency, called Bundesnetzagentur, said it had cut the amount of winter power capacity needed in reserve for the 2023/24 season by 44% from 2022/23 to 4,616 megawatts (MW). Also, the slow pace of network expansion is hampering the delivery of wind power from the north of Germany to the industrial south. That amount of capacity could be raised by combining plants operating regularly in the market with domestic and foreign network reserve capacities and the "winter" reserve, it said. Under the network reserve schemes, Germany can draw year-round on domestic plants that were registered for closure but declared system-relevant. Some power plants abroad will also be contracted under one-off agreements, where a relevant tender runs until May 15.

☆ Nord Stream 2 German subsidiary wound up -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The German subsidiary of the consortium behind the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been wound up, German news portal T-Online reported on Friday citing trade registry documents. Nord Stream 2 would have doubled Russia's gas export capacity to Germany via the Baltic Sea but Germany withheld permission to operate after Moscow's sent troops into Ukraine last February. "It has no information about a dissolution of the company," the spokesperson said, but noted a provisional debt restructuring moratorium granted to Nord Stream 2 AG, the company's Switzerland-based parent, had been extended until January 10. Nord Stream 2 was not immediately available for comment. As-yet unexplained explosions occurred on the parallel Nord Stream 1 pipeline and on one line of the twin-piped Nord Stream 2 in Swedish and Danish waters in September 2022.

☆ German regulator identifies 5,000 km to aid green power switch
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The natural regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur has planning authority over a total of 7,300 km of grid. It reports to the economy ministry, which shares the goal of increasing the use of renewable energy and distributing wind energy, concentrated in Germany's north, and solar energy from the south. "The renewable energy generated in the north of the country must be transported," Klaus Mueller, the authority's president, said in a statement. Germany plans a total 14,000 km of high voltage grids, responsibility for which would be shared between the central regulator and state level authorities in co-operation with four transmission grid companies (TSOs). Since the Green Party gained prominence as part of the coalition government installed in late 2021, Berlin has accelerated planning and approval procedures to ease the take-up of renewable power.

The rapid drawdown in gas inventories for space heating, industrial processes and power generation shows the system functioning as intended. Gas stocks were +56 TWh (+21% or 1.39 standard deviations) above the ten-year seasonal average for 2012-2021. The largest seasonal depletion was -148 TWh (winter 2018/19) while the smallest was just -34 TWh (winter 2014/15). Related columns:- Europe’s gas stocks comfortable despite cold snap (Reuters, December 14)- Europe on course to end winter with plenty of gas (Reuters, November 28)- Europe’s gas storage peaks after record refill season (Reuters, November 18)- Mission accomplished? Europe fills gas storage ahead of schedule (Reuters, October 4)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

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