Munich is making considerable progress with the decarbonisation of its power as the share of renewables is projected to reach 90% in 2022.
The city sees itself on track to reach its goal of fully covering its power needs with green electricity in 2025.
Municipal utility Stadtwerke Muenchen (SWM) operates about 60 renewables power plants in and around Munich that generate about 6.3 billion kWh of electricity. This will be enough to meet 90% of the power needs of all households, industry, trade and the public sector as well as all trams, e-buses and subway operations in the city. The portfolio includes solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower plants as well as a biomass cogeneration plant.
To cover the remaining 10% of the mix with green electricity will require much effort as demand for electricity is expected to grow due to the rise of e-mobility and the wider use of heat pumps, said SWM's chief executive Florian Bieberbach.
The energy transition in the Bavarian city started in 2009 when the decision was made for the phase-out of conventional power sources and the expansion of renewable energy. A key component in SWM's climate protection strategy is the shutdown of the coal-fired cogeneration plant Nord Block 2 which poses a challenge as it cannot be switched off without having a replacement. To make the exit, the utility is now considering transforming the plant to run on natural gas from the heating season 2022/23. The use of gas is considered a bridge technology and in the end, the plant will be powered by hydrogen or geothermal energy.
In addition, SWM is withdrawing from the oil industry. Last year, Spirit Energy, in which SWM and Bayerngas hold a combined 31% stake, sold its gas and oil fields in Norway and the UK, cutting its oil exploration operations by 95%. The remaining natural gas production will be discontinued gradually within the next five to ten years and the available infrastructure will be used for sustainable and climate-friendly operations.
SWM, wholly owned by the city of Munich, supplies the city with electricity, natural gas, district heating, district cooling and spring fresh drinking water from the Bavarian Alpine foothills.
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Solar park in Bavaria. Author: Michael Betke. License: Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic
