A safe electricity supply can be provided without traditional generating stations

The results of a study concluded that it is possible for a secure supply of electricity to be available in Germany in the future without the need to rely on traditional power plants known as “base load plants”, which operate, for example,…
This is the result of the study carried out by the “Leopoldina” project, which is supported by the National Academy of Sciences “Leopoldina”, the German Academy of Engineering Sciences “ACATEC” and the Federation of German Academies of Sciences.

Low cost alternatives

The study indicated that the availability of sufficiently low-cost alternatives has reduced the great importance that “base load stations” previously had, but it noted that this does not mean excluding these stations as part of the energy system in the future.
The study authors added: “If these plants can meet the economic, technical and climate policy requirements, they may constitute a valuable addition to the energy supply base.”
The study investigated whether the use of continuously operating power plants in a climate-neutral energy system in 2045 would bring advantages to German and European energy supplies.

Low carbon technologies

The study evaluated low-carbon technologies, such as nuclear power plants, carbon-capturing natural gas plants, geothermal energy, and nuclear fusion.
The study concluded that providing reliable, climate-friendly energy supplies is possible through “the interaction of solar and wind energy with flexible electricity storage and consumption,” in addition to generating stations that operate when needed.
The 55-page report, titled “Catalyst,” noted that “by scaling up renewables and European electricity and hydrogen networks, electricity and most hydrogen needs within Europe can likely be met.”

Renewable energy system

Model calculations have shown that “base load plants” can be integrated into a power system that relies heavily on solar and wind power.
These calculations also showed that: “The electricity from these stations can be used during periods of low demand in electrolysis processes, which reduces hydrogen imports.”
However, these calculations indicated that these plants would have almost no impact on the needs of expanding and developing electricity and hydrogen networks, nor would the transition to electric mobility and heat pumps be affected by them.
These calculations indicated that these stations would not have a significant benefit unless they were more economically efficient than their alternatives.