SPD demands talks about government responsibility for Unipers hydropower plants
SPD demands talks about government responsibility for Unipers hydropower plants
In Bavaria there are current tensions about the future of hydropower plants that are owned by the Uniper company. The SPD parliamentary group called this on the schedule. According to the SPD, the Bavarian state government has not yet adequately responded to the recommendations from Berlin. Florian von Brunn, the SPD's energy policy spokesman, made clear: "The Söder government must now make nails with heads and, with the Uniper management, negotiate the re-nationalization of the hydropower plants." There is not only the desire to take over the existing capacities, but also the Walchensee power plant and the pumped storage power plants would have to be included in discussions.
by Brunn emphasizes the historical importance of the Walchensee power plant, which is considered an industrial monument and has played a central role in the electrification of Bavaria. The SPD sees a home case as a key in this context, but the legal foundations seem to be a little more complicated. There are no home falling rights on the Walchensee and the other pumped storage power plants, which potentially complicates the negotiations.
unipers reluctance
On the other hand, Uniper is not very willing to cooperate. A spokesman for the company explained that hydropower for Uniper plays a fundamental role in CO2-free electricity generation and denies that the sale of the power plants is on the agenda. According to Uniper, the home case cannot be stopped, but the company is not actively aiming for a sale. The strategic importance of these systems seems to be too high for Uniper to give them out.
The question of what the takeover of the company would cost by the Free State of Bavaria is currently unclear. There are around 85 hydropower plants that run uniper on rivers such as the Isar, the Lech, the Danube and the Main. However, the possibilities of acquisition are linked to structural conditions and necessary compensation. Whether and how these compensation are negotiated depends heavily on the respective systems.
Another critical point in this discussion is the time window for home falling rights. These should only be able to be pulled gradually from 2030. Critics warn that this could result in a real patchwork of responsibilities, which could be particularly disadvantageous for flood management. The effects on the efficiency of these systems and the general water management in the Free State raise the question of how the Ministry of the Environment will deal with these challenges.