Tourism stronghold dependent on natural gas – salzburg.ORF.at
One topic is currently disturbing the spring idyll in the Glemm Valley: since 2003 the entire valley has been dependent on natural gas for heat supply. The lines reach up to the middle stations of the lifts. This dependency is currently something to think about in the valley: “It is a fact that we are very dependent on gas,” says Saalbach Mayor Alois Hasenauer (ÖVP). “And it is also a fact that we cannot offer an alternative overnight. Of course you think about it and you don’t want to think about the worst case scenario.”
Combined heat and power plants for the valley “not economical”
The Glemmtal lives mainly from tourism and the focus is on the winter season. The wellness trend in hotels has increased energy requirements enormously.
There isn’t really an alternative to gas, says Hasenauer: “Our valley is long. You probably wouldn’t have gotten by with one (district) heating plant, you would have needed two,” says Mayor Hasenauer. “You would never have been able to cover these enormous peaks that we have in the winter season. The bottom line was that it wasn’t economical – and it probably wouldn’t be even today.”
A few companies rely on wood chips
Only a few companies have found alternative solutions for themselves. When hotelier Anton Hasenauer was faced with the decision to replace his heating 15 years ago, he opted for a wood chip system: “It has already paid off and will probably pay off even more in the future,” says the hotelier. He is currently heating his hotel and the restaurant next door with his wood chip system.
If there were problems with the gas supply, he would also connect his staff house to the wood chip heating system, says the hotelier Hasenauer: “That’s not that many kilowatts that are needed – then we would add that to this system.”
Saalbach-Hinterglemm dependent on natural gas
Companies expect price increases
Other hoteliers who are dependent on gas for energy supply are currently struggling primarily with price increases – such as Fritz Steger: “Let’s save anyway, we make sure that the energy is not wasted. Things are probably going to get more expensive now. In summer we have already fixed the prices and in winter it will be a bit different. We also have to pass on the prices – because we won’t be able to do any business either.”
However, the accommodation providers do not have to worry about the gas supply, emphasizes Salzburg AG: “Should be cuts are household customers, but also hotels, which are certainly not the first on the list of cuts,” says Siegfried Müllegger, head of energy technology at Salzburg AG. “According to the law, large industry would be the first to be reduced.” The gas is currently flowing, but the storage tanks are already 25 percent full again, emphasizes Müllegger.
There shouldn’t be any cold beds in the winter season in Saalbach either. But skiing holidays are likely to be a little more expensive in 2022/23.