TRIALOG | Wärme aus Erdgas – Wie lange noch?

In the organizer's words:

One evening, many perspectives - panel discussion with experts from science, business and society.

How will district heating be generated for Karlsruhe when the RDK8 coal-fired power plant is shut down in the near future? Among other things, the municipal utilities rely on gas engines powered by fossil natural gas. The current global situation makes it abundantly clear that this involves considerable price risks. But environmental organizations are also pushing for a rapid phase-out of gas because of the climate targets. Is it a good strategy to invest in gas combustion plants when climate-friendly alternatives such as the river heat pump are available?

Experts from business, science and civil society will discuss these questions at a panel discussion on Tuesday, May 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at TRIANGEL on Kronenplatz.

Free admission, registration is not required.

The participants:

• Dr. Anne Held (KEK - Karlsruher Energie- und Klimaschutzagentur gGmbH)
• Dr. Steffen Knapp (Head of Strategy | Trade | Research, Stadtwerke Karlsruhe)
• Benjamin Köhler (Öko-Institut Freiburg, Energy & Climate Protection Department)
• Elke Dünnhoff (Environmental Forum Mannheimer Agenda 21 e.V.)
• Moderation: Ivo Pietrzak

The audience will have ample opportunity to put questions to the panel.

Advice on individual heating systems on May 5 from 4 p.m.

Global tensions and geopolitical uncertainties have led to considerable price shocks for gas and oil in recent years and continue to unsettle many citizens. They are asking themselves: How and how quickly can individual heating systems be converted to climate-friendly solutions? The energy advice service of the Karlsruhe Energy and Climate Protection Agency (KEK) will frame the panel discussion with an advisory service for all interested parties from 4 - 5 and 7 - 8 p.m., also on the premises of TRIANGEL on Kronenplatz.

Background:

While the MiRO refinery essentially supplies the heat for the base load of Karlsruhe's district heating requirements, the coal-fired power plant in the Rhine port currently still plays an important role for the so-called medium load, i.e. the increased demand for heat in the colder months of the year. However, as part of the coal phase-out, RDK8 will soon be transferred to the grid reserve. It can then no longer be used for regular demand. The municipal utilities are planning a two-pronged approach to replacing its heat output: one or more flow heat pumps will be used as long as the electricity price makes operation profitable. If the electricity price rises above a critical level, gas engines are to be started instead, which - initially fired with fossil natural gas - will then produce heat and electricity at the same time. Both systems - the river heat pump and gas engines - have yet to be built.

In both cases, the construction can be massively subsidized with tax funds, but the investment would still be a major challenge for the municipal utilities. From the Climate Alliance's point of view, the gas engines raise particularly critical questions. Will the taxpayers' money ever pay for itself despite rising gas prices and CO2 pricing? Does the planned switch from fossil gas to hydrogen even stand a chance in the foreseeable future if hydrogen will not only be very expensive but also very scarce? Won't gas engines end up running on fossil gas for much longer than planned, thus fueling the climate crisis? With this panel discussion, the Climate Alliance is seeking answers for a responsible climate policy for the city of Karlsruhe.