Germany says has secured back-up power for next winter

(WEN-Planet-Ark, 3 May 2016) Germany has secured the estimated 5,400 megawatts (MW) of back-up power it needs for the coming winter to cope with supply fluctuations and demand peaks, the energy regulator said on Monday.

Germany's power transport networks are not expanding quickly enough, requiring a reserve scheme that is administered by the Bundesnetzagentur agency, which oversees the stability of the grid in a bid to avoid blackouts and regional shortages.

"The reserve power requirement of 5,400 MW can be covered by plants that are signed up already," the agency said in a press release.

Germany shut 40 percent of its nuclear power station capacity in one go in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, and has been investing heavily in renewable energy.

That has created challenges. For example, heavy production of wind power in areas where there is not enough transport capacity places stress on transmission grids and can require so-called re-dispatch - throttling production in some places, while revving up spare capacity in others.

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WEN-Planet-Ark, 3 May 2016: Germany says has secured back-up power for next winter