Speed up the game: Uniper pushes for swift gas power plant expansion - Vattenfall voices concerns over excess
Uniper promotes accelerated growth for gas power plants; Vattenfall issues caution on oversupply. - Power generating facilities running on gas: Uniper eyes swift expansion - Vattenfall voices concerns over potential oversupply
Get ready for some speed! Uniper's CEO, Michael Lewis, is demanding faster approvals for gas power plants, shouting, "Germany needs the Uniper pace for gas power plants," to Süddeutsche Zeitung. This swift action is in response to the federal government's push for LNG import terminals, a move triggered by the 2022 Russian attack.
No time to waste, says Lewis! Germany needs reliable power sources that can deliver – and fast! With an existing gap in capacity, the situation is set to worsen by 2030, according to the British boss of Uniper, who previously channeled significant efforts into Russia's gas business. Unfortunately, they needed a government bailout in 2022.
However, Vattenfall CEO Robert Zurawski thinks the government's expansion plan is too ambitious. He told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), "20 gigawatts are too much in our view." Zurawski believes that gas power plants can only generate power – a relic of the past. Instead, he advocates for increased storage capacity to address bottlenecks.
The big picture: Current capacities and expansion plans
Germany is banking on a substantial boost to its gas-fired power capacity, with the federal government planning to construct around 20 GW of new gas-fired power plants[2][3]. Uniper, a key player in this movement, plans to build approximately 2 GW of gas-fired power plants[2]. These plans are part of broader strategies to diversify and stabilize Germany's energy supply.
A matter of perspective: Expansion controversy
The necessity and excessiveness of these plans depend on different perspectives:
- Necessity: Some consider the expansion a necessity, Especially given Germany's energy security concerns [4][5]. Natural gas remains a critical component for maintaining grid stability and ensuring supply during periods when renewable energy is less productive.
- Excessiveness: Critics might argue that the expansion plans are excessive, given Germany's ambitious renewable energy targets. The country aims for 80% of its electricity to come from renewables by 2030, and significant growth in solar capacity has already been achieved[3][5]. However, variability in renewable output necessitates backup systems like gas plants to maintain grid stability.
Eye on the prize: Views from energy companies
- Uniper: By investing in gas-fired plants, Uniper puts a strong emphasis on securing supply security, especially during transitional phases towards more renewable energy[2].
- General Energy Sector: The energy sector recognizes the need for both renewable expansion and traditional energy safeguards. Despite renewable energy covering nearly half of Germany's power consumption in Q1 2025, there remains a reliance on sources like gas during periods of low renewable output[4][5].
- Uniper, with a planned 2 GW of gas-fired power plant expansion, is a key player in Germany's attempt to boost its gas-fired power capacity, which the federal government aims to increase by around 20 GW.
- Michael Lewis, Uniper's CEO, has been vocal about the need for faster approvals for gas power plants, expressing concerns about Germany's energy security and the worsening capacity gap by 2030.
- However, Vattenfall CEO Robert Zurawski voices concerns about the government's expansion plan, suggesting that the planned 20 GW might be too much, and gas power plants can only generate power, a relic of the past.
- In the renewable-energy industry, Germany aims for 80% of its electricity to come from renewables by 2030, yet variability in renewable output necessitates backup systems like gas plants to maintain grid stability.
- Despite the push for renewable energy, energy companies like Uniper emphasize the importance of traditional energy sources like gas during transitional phases towards more renewable energy.
