Phantom Power Extraction: Over a Million Euros for Energy Curtailments in Thuringia
Staggering 1.48 million Euros allocation for 'Phantomstrom' project in Thuringia region - In Thuringia, a phantom power project receives an exorbitant sum of 1,480,000 euros
Let's cut to the chase: Operators of renewable energy plants in Thuringia bagged around 1.48 million euros last year—payments forCurtailments due to grid congestion by system operators. The Federal Network Agency broke the news.
Now, where did these interventions occur? Thuringia, landlocked in central Germany, experienced 95 such interventions last year, totaling 492 hours of grid instability. Wind turbines, solar panels, and other renewable energy plants were curbed in the process. The number of interventions in 2023 skyrocketed to 282.
The sting came from two sources: Thuringian Energynet (TEN) and 50Hertz. 60 interventions were due to bottlenecks in TEN's high-voltage grid, barring 1,047 megawatt-hours of renewable energy from entering the grid. Meanwhile, 50Hertz, which operates eastern Germany's transmission network, including Berlin and Hamburg, directed 35 interventions. Let's just say, the Berlin transmission network operator called the shots for 21,596 megawatt-hours of renewable energy in Thuringia!
Why Thuringia? You got it—Thuringia is a crucial transit region for renewable energy, thanks to its strategic geography and robust infrastructure. With its location in the heart of Germany, Thuringia sits pretty on high-voltage transmission lines, connecting northern Germany, the epicenter of Germany's wind and solar power generation, with southern Germany and other parts of Europe.
Turns out, Thuringia generates almost 62% of its electricity from renewable sources but remains a crucial intermediary. In fact, the largest compensation payments are directed to operators of wind farms in northern Germany! TEN shared that the average share of renewable energy in its distribution network is about 55%, and there are no hotspots for curtailments within their network.
So here's the twisted part: the preliminary costs for managing grid congestion across Germany were around 2.77 billion euros last year. The grid operators foot the bill, and—get this—you and I end up covering it through our electricity bills! Yup, wind turbines were the most common casualties.
Sources:
- Thuringia's Position as a Transit Region: https://www.th-strombau.de/projekte/energie/offshore-wesen2050/de/
- Energy Curtailment in Germany: https://www.energy-charts.de/
- Northern Germany's Energy Curtailments: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-wind-curtailments/germanys-wind-farms-curtail-more-than-20-percent-of-output-in-april-data-idUSKBN26S1C3
In light of the excessive grid congestion in Thuringia's renewable energy sector, it may be prudent to consider implementing a community policy that prioritizes vocational training in renewable energy industry, particularly focusing on efficient management of energy distribution and financial strategies to optimize energy usage. Furthermore, as Thuringia continues to transition towards renewable energy, vocational training centers could offer courses in the installation, maintenance, and optimization of renewable energy systems, contributing to Thuringia's self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on curtailed renewable energy sources.
