Lower Austria is indeed the federal state with the largest amount of renewable energy from wind and solar energy, said Deputy Governor Stefan Pernkopf (ÖVP), in charge of energy, at a press conference on Friday. On the desired path to energy independence, this is set to be achieved with an additional 250 wind turbines by 2035 and an additional 130,000 photovoltaic systems by 2030.
As a basis for energy independence, security of supply, more renewable energy and therefore climate protection, the energy grid must now also be greatly expanded. Therefore, Pernkopf and Gerhard Christener, members of the board of directors of APG, the Austrian transport system operator, presented an attack on the expansion of the power grid on Friday.
APG Board calls for faster approvals
“For the transformation of the power system with secure supply to be successful and for us to cover all our electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030, we have to transform and expand the entire infrastructure. This requires a comprehensive system plan and fast implementation times,” Christener says. “The Weinviertel line was realized in six years – from conception to operation. This is a model show for Austria and unfortunately the exception: approval procedures still take a long time.”
Netz NÖ must “deliver the best speed”
APG will invest €3.5 billion in expansion across Austria over the next ten years, including approximately €550 million in Lower Austria. According to Pernkopf, this is important “because people have to be able to rely on the ability to connect their photovoltaic systems to the grid and on the fact that the power grids are safe.”
EVN and Netz Niederösterreich, Lower Austria’s largest grid operator, will also have to “make maximum efforts and work as quickly as possible to create sufficient grid capacity and to build new grid-connected green power stations,” says Pernkopf.
Appeal to energy suppliers to ‘invest’
“Netz Niederösterreich will therefore invest 250 million euros annually in modernizing and strengthening the electric power grid. Netz Niederösterreich currently operates 92 substations, 40 of which are being built or 40 are being modernized,” said the deputy governor. He also appealed to other energy suppliers, such as Wien Energie with nearly 200,000 customers from Lower Austria, to make huge investments in terms of energy independence and security of supply.
Of Austria’s 70 TW electricity requirements, ten are imported, the other ten are from thermal power plants and the remaining 50 are renewables, according to APG CEO Christener. If the winter in Austria is not “too severe”, he sees no problem with the power supply.
