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Gas & Heat 18/03/2025, 13:06
The VEA reports regularly on current gas contract agreements.
(Image: Anthia Cumming/iStock)

Current gas contracts

Hanover - The German Association of Energy Consumers (VEA) regularly reports on current gas contract agreements. In view of the continuing lack of transparency regarding the price level for industrial customers, the information can provide an initial indicator of achievable prices.
Politics 18/03/2025, 13:00
Lorenz Gösta Beutin was the energy policy spokesperson for the Left Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag from 2017 to 2021. He is now running for office again.
(Image: privat)

"We want to skim off unearned profits"

Berlin - The Left Party has gained a lot of support. In opposition, the party wants to campaign for socially just climate protection. To achieve this, excess profits of energy suppliers must be skimmed off, heating subsidies must be socially staggered and ETS II must be cancelled, says Lorenz Gösta Beutin, Vice-Chairman of the Left Party, in an interview.
Market & Industry 18/03/2025, 11:44
A 54 MW electrolyser has gone into operation at the chemical company BASF's site in Ludwigshafen.
(Image: BASF SE)

BASF commissions 54 MW electrolyser

Ludwigshafen - The chemical company BASF has commissioned a large-scale electrolyser at its main plant in Ludwigshafen. The plant with a capacity of 54 MW will in future produce up to one tonne of hydrogen per hour for processes at the chemical site.
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Politics

Politics 17/03/2025, 16:35
Eon and RWE are in favour of strongly aligning climate policy with emissions trading.
(Image: Envato Elements/jacksonnick)

Eon and RWE: ETS is to be at the centre of climate policy

Essen - Just in time for the coalition negotiations, Eon and RWE have published what is needed to get the energy transition on track. The ETS is to become the lead instrument, offshore expansion is to be minimised and electrolysis targets are to be abolished.
Politics 17/03/2025, 16:26

Amendment to the Basic Law becomes more likely

Berlin - Ahead of the decisive session of the Bundestag on the amendment of the Basic Law, there are indications that Bavaria is likely to vote in favour of the planned billion-euro debt package from the CDU/CSU and SPD in the Federal Council. However, there are still uncertainties.
Politics 17/03/2025, 15:51

Expert opinion: Less climate protection is unconstitutional

Berlin - New government, new climate protection policy. However, it cannot simply revoke existing climate protection measures. At least according to a legal opinion commissioned by the CDU-affiliated Climate Union.
Politics 14/03/2025, 16:20

Agreement on special assets - heat transition included

Berlin - After a long struggle, the CDU/CSU, SPD and Greens have reached a compromise on special funds and the debt brake. The money is now earmarked for additional investments in climate protection, the economy and infrastructure. In addition, 100 billion euros will flow into the KTF.
Politics 14/03/2025, 14:43

Energy sector has delivered on climate protection

Berlin - The Federal Environment Agency has presented its latest report on greenhouse gas emissions for 2024. It shows that the energy industry is "overperforming" in reducing its CO2 emissions. This is mainly due to the expansion of renewables, but not only. Other sectors, however, are lagging behind the targets.
All news in the rubric Politics

Market & Industry

Market & Industry 17/03/2025, 17:13
EIP will not become the majority shareholder of Baywa Re. Nevertheless, the signs between the parent company and the subsidiary point to a separation.
(Image: Baywa AG)

Change of ownership at Baywa Re cancelled

Munich - A surprising twist in the struggle to restructure Baywa Re: The major Swiss investor Energy Infrastructure Partners will not become the majority shareholder of the stricken renewables project developer after all. Nevertheless, the Swiss want to remain on board as shareholders.
Market & Industry 17/03/2025, 16:06

Carbon management initiative launched

Berlin - When it comes to CO2 utilisation and storage, other European countries are much further ahead than Germany. A new initiative from the gas industry now wants to change this and push ahead with CCS and CCU. First and foremost, this requires the appropriate legal basis, which is still lacking in Germany.
Market & Industry 17/03/2025, 14:20

Lichtblick wants to remain uncomfortable with new CEO

Essen/Hamburg - Lichtblick intends to remain strategically true to itself under its new management. The industry can continue to expect some unpopular demands and controversial positions from the Hamburg-based green energy provider. This was announced by the new CEO Marc Wallraff in his first interview in his new position at energate.
Market & Industry 17/03/2025, 13:34

Panasonic acquires shares in Tado

Frankfurt/Munich - The Japanese company Panasonic has acquired shares in the Munich-based technology company Tado for 30 million euros. The aim is to combine energy management systems with heat pumps in order to optimise energy consumption and reduce costs.
Market & Industry 17/03/2025, 10:00

"The Lichtblick story is far from over"

Essen/Hamburg - Marc Wallraff has been CEO of green energy provider Lichtblick since the beginning of November. In his first interview in his new position, he spoke to energate about the company's self-image as a "market enabler", the intense competition in the sales market and new business opportunities through sector coupling.
All news in the rubric Market & Industry

Power

Power 17/03/2025, 17:17
Decentralised capacities also are to contribute to system stabilisation.
(Image: Bestoragedt)

Decentralised flexibility in the integrated capacity market

Berlin - In all likelihood, the end of the traffic light system will also mean the end of the combined capacity market planned by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens). The CDU/CSU is not in favour of the approach - as is the industry association BDEW, which has now presented a current study on the topic.
Power 17/03/2025, 17:11

Energy associations warn against "deceptive packaging"

Berlin/Frankfurt am Main - The reduction in electricity costs of 5 cents per kilowatt hour planned by the CDU/CSU and SPD is not enough to provide equal relief for all consumers, according to an expert report. VKU and ZVEI are calling for additional subsidies.
Power 17/03/2025, 16:00

First contract for the utilisation of surplus electricity

Hamburg - The "Utilisation instead of curtailment" scheme aims to make surplus electricity from renewable energy plants usable. In Hamburg, a power-to-heat plant has been contractually integrated for the first time.
Power 17/03/2025, 12:27

Envelio and Robotron cooperate on § 14a Energy Industry Act

Cologne - From April, the requirements of § 14a Energy Industry Act will apply. In order to fulfil these requirements, Envelio and Robotron Datenbank-Software will be offering joint software in future. This is intended to take over network-orientated control.
Power 14/03/2025, 15:11

RWE builds 600 MW battery storage facility in Hamm

Hamm - RWE is taking the storage ramp-up seriously. It was only in February that the company announced that it had installed battery storage projects with a capacity of 220 MW in Hamm. Now another 600 MW will follow at the former hard coal-fired power plant site in Westphalia.
All news in the rubric Power

Gas & Heat

Gas & Heat 17/03/2025, 17:06
Bosch produces in Portugal, among other places, but will soon be adding new production sites.
(Image: Bosch)

Bosch hopes for more sales in the heat pump business

Frankfurt - Bosch is losing ground in terms of sales, but will nevertheless soon achieve a major leap in sales - inorganically through the acquisition of a US heat pump and air conditioning manufacturer. CEO Jan Brockmann sees opportunities in the USA and Asia and at the same time calls for new impetus for the German market.
Gas & Heat 17/03/2025, 16:11

MVV builds one of the largest heat pumps in Europe

Mannheim - Mannheim-based energy supplier MVV is planning to build a second river heat pump with a capacity of 150 MW. The company wants to use it to decarbonise its district heating and phase out gas supplies. This is not going down well everywhere.
Gas & Heat 17/03/2025, 15:15

THE launches VHP market consultation

Berlin/Düsseldorf - Trading Hub Europe, the market area manager, has launched its consultation on the virtual trading point. Among other things, the company wants to use it to survey customer satisfaction. The Federal Network Agency prescribes such a consultation once a year.
Gas & Heat 17/03/2025, 12:50

"Heat transition is not just climate protection, but also economic policy"

Karlsruhe - The special fund of the CDU/CSU and SPD envisages 100 billion euros for the federal states. Part of this is to finance the heating transition. Beyond that, the coalition partners' plans for heating are vague. In an interview with energate, Herbert Pohl, managing director of Deutsche Erdwärme, looks ahead to the new legislative period.
Gas & Heat 14/03/2025, 16:00

Stadtwerke Herne connects separate district heating grids

Herne - Stadtwerke Herne has found a solution to improve waste heat utilisation at the Ineos chemical plant. Two previously separate district heating grids have been connected to increase the security of supply.
All news in the rubric Gas & Heat