The coal block in the Unterföhring combined heat and power plant should continue to run next winter. Stadtwerke München have this wish. The phasing out of hard coal combustion would be delayed again.

Munich – Stadtwerke München (SWM) assumes that hard coal will have to be burned in the combined heat and power plant North (HKW Nord) 23/24 in the coming winter. “The supply of gas remains difficult and expensive,” says spokesman Michael Silva when asked by our newspaper. “It would therefore be counterproductive to switch the coal block to gas now and thus significantly increase Munich’s gas consumption.” The city council is to be informed about the situation shortly.

Hard coal combustion in Munich: Stadtwerke want to keep the block running

Hard coal is burned in Munich’s HKW Nord to generate heat and electricity. Last January, Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) and SWM boss Florian Bieberbach announced that the state capital would phase out coal combustion and nuclear power generation in 2022. This step was previously, among others, by a referendum been requested. On November 5, 2017, 60.4 percent voted for the municipal utility to phase out coal-fired power generation by the end of 2022.

The aim of the city and the municipal utility was for the power plant to switch to natural gas, probably hydrogen, at the turn of the year. However, more than 50 percent of the natural gas used nationwide comes from Russian production. About 30 percent come from Norway, ten percent from the Netherlands, and the rest from Germany and other European countries. The city had to rethink the war of aggression by Russia on Ukraine. A probable reliable supply of natural gas is in question. Because the gas flows from Russia remained well below the average. “Our strategy towards a 100% renewable electricity and heat supply remains unchanged,” Bieberbach said in the city council in March and suggested that Block 2 in the HKW Nord be operated again with coal in the next heating period. The city council then agreed. And now?

Hard coal combustion in Munich: the city council should decide

“We will deal very seriously with what the SWM will present to the city council,” says Dominik Krause, co-chair of the Greens/Pink List. The security of supply for the people of Munich was already the top priority for his parliamentary group for the current heating period. “That still applies, and the gas situation is still very tense for the next heating season.” At the same time, he does not want to endlessly delay the phase-out of coal. “The SWM are also asked to show a medium-term alternative.” Simone Burger, spokeswoman for economic policy for the SPD/Volt parliamentary group, adds: “We will discuss this in the city council based on the facts that will then be available. For us, the goal of security of supply is central, and we will not endanger it. And we are committed to phasing out coal as soon as possible.”