Germany’s record temperatures raise risks to power plants
[ad_1]
(Montel) Germany saw its warmest February on record, raising concerns about greater risk of water restrictions on power plants as seasonal high temperatures on the Rhine have already caused two coal plant operators to be affected.
“Our data shows that we have been measuring above-average temperatures in the Rhine since mid-January 2024 and at the end of February, we also had new record values in the comparative period (1988-2023),” said Tatjana Erkert, spokeswoman for Baden-Wuerttemberg State Institute for the Environment (LUBW).
The higher temperatures could cause more problems into spring and summer, when output is traditionally hampered by cooling water issues.
“[River temperatures] are also influenced by climate change, and we will generally have to get used to higher temperatures,” Erkert added.
“[The warnings] are very unusual for the time of year but we don’t see any huge risks [for now],” said Tasmin Chowdhary, power analyst at Volue. “Although I’m sure the summer will be a different story.”
German power producers ENBW and GKM earlier this month warned of cooling water restrictions as temperatures in the Rhine near Karlsruhe and Mannheim rose to the recommended maximum for this time of year of 10C.
The limit rises to 25C at the start of April, according to LUBW.
Temperatures at the Rhine in Karlsruhe hit 10.1C on 19 March, LUBW data showed. This compares with an average of 8.1C over the past five years for that day.
Limited price impact
German temperatures averaged 6.6C in February, which is 5.1C above the 1991-2020 period and the highest value since records began in 1880.
Cooling water issues have over the years hampered German coal-fired output as high river temperatures mean plant operators cannot discharge cooling water into the river, which can force them to reduce output.
Low river levels amid dry conditions also cause issues as they restrict the amount of coal shippers can transport via the Rhine.
ENBW and GKM declined to comment on any impact on their plants mentioned in the warnings, GKM (2 GW) and Karlsruhe 7 (505 MW).
However, coal plants have recently been pushed out of the market amid lower gas prices, making power production from the latter more favourable.
Chowdhary said even if there were coal plant outages, the “overall price impact should be limited” amid lower demand and rising solar output.
[ad_2]
Read More:Germany’s record temperatures raise risks to power plants
Comments are closed.