Team

Effects of the phase-out of coal-fired power generation by 2038 on the electricity market, CO2 emissions and selected industries

At the end of January, the Coal Commission presented its final report. The EWI examined the effects of that report on behalf of MWIDE NRW (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia). The European electricity market model DIMENSION+ was used to compare the developments of a reference scenario with those of the phase-out scenario. Based on this analysis and further investigation, an international comparison of electricity prices for selected power-intensive industries was made.

In the scenario analysis, the EWI reaches the following key results: The recommended exit path makes it possible to achieve the 2030 climate target for the energy sector even with a moderate increase in demand for electricity. Whereas this target is clearly missed in the reference scenario. However, in the coal phase-out scenario, an ambitious expansion of the number of peak-load power plants by 2025 is necessary in order to ensure security of supply. Electricity prices will rise significantly in both scenarios due to rising prices for CO₂ certificates. For the German industrial companies considered, electricity prices are rising relatively strongly in both scenarios compared with foreign prices. Aid payments to compensate indirect CO₂ costs (so-called electricity price compensation) can reduce the increase in electricity prices.

Study comparison sector coupling

In April 2018 ewi ER&S published the study “Kosteneffiziente Umsetzung der Sektorenkopplung” on behalf of the Ministry of Economics, Innovation, Digitisation and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia. In June 2018, the “dena-Leitstudie Integrierte Energiewende” was published with ewi ER&S as the principal scientific assessor. Both studies analyse cross-sector strategies for achieving climate targets in the medium and long term. Within the framework of the “Studienvergleich Sektorenkopplung “, similarities and differences in the design of the study are pointed out transparently and the differences in the results are presented in detail.

dena-Leitstudie Integrierte Energiewende (dena Study on Integrated Energy Transition)

The dena-Leitstudie Integrierte Energiewende develops and compares transformation pathes for the energy system in Germany with the objective to attain the climate-political goals by 2050. It pursues an innovative cross-sector scenario approach. At the same time, it is based on the branch knowledge of more than 60 partners from all relevant sectors and on the continuuos exchange with important actors from politics, society and science. The objective is to give impulses for designing the energy system by 2050. ewi ER&S is the main scientific advisor to the study. The central results of the study say that Germany will be able to attain its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 as well as by 95 % up to the year 2050 if the strains in all sectors are increased. Therefore, the roll-out and system integration of renewable energy sources must be forced, the end energy consumption has to be reduced by extensive energy efficiency efforts, and synthetic regenerative energy sources must be used on a big scale. A broad mix of technologies and energy sources makes the transformation of the energy system more cost-efficient than a fortified use of electricity-based applications.

The energy market in 2030 and 2050 – The contribution of gas and heat infrastructure to an efficient CO2 reduction

The study examines which contribution current gas and heat infrastructure can make to an efficient minimization of greenhouse gas by 2030 and 2050 respective. Therefore the study uses a complete energy system model to quantify two possible scenarios for a greenhouse gas reduction correspondent to Germany’s 2030 and 2050 climate goals. In the “Revolution” scenario a forced electrification of final energy consumption is prescribed by the government, so that gas and heat infrastructures will more and more lose importance. In spite of the extensive electrification this is not an “all-electric” scenario, but will clearly develop in that direction. In the “Evolution” scenario there are no governmental prescriptions regarding certain technologies, so that current gas and heat infrastructure can be used continuously as long as it is economically profitable. The focus of the study lies in power and heat markets.

Gebäudestudie – Szenarien für eine marktwirtschaftliche Klima- und Ressourcenschutzpolitik 2050 im Gebäudesektor

The Buildings Study (Gebäudestudie), initiated by the members of the Allianz für Gebäude-Energie-Effizienz (geea), provides an economic analysis of the buildings sector. It investigates how the transformation of the buildings sector can be accomplished by an interplay of building shell, installation technology and a changed energy production, to reach an attainment of reducing greenhouse gases by 80% and by 95%. The study was created in the context of the dena-Leitstudie Integrierte Energiewende (Integrated Energy Transition). ewi ER&S is the main economic reviewer of the study, cooperating with FIW and ITG as technological reviewers.