Germany tenders 9GW gas capacity

Germany’s economy ministry plans to launch Germany’s first new backup-power auctions in September, with another round in December. (cleanenergywire.org) (energyconnects.com) The draft law seen by Handelsblatt sets out 9 gigawatts of “long-term capacities” across the two 2026 rounds. The ministry said developers need long lead times because planning and construction will take years. (cleanenergywire.org) (energyconnects.com) Germany said in January it had reached a general agreement with the European Commission on a broader power-plant strategy covering 12 gigawatts of new capacity in 2026. Of that, 10 gigawatts must provide longer-duration output, while 2 gigawatts can be filled by other technologies such as battery storage. (reuters.com) (taylorwessing.com) The plants are meant to cover periods when wind and solar output drops and older coal units keep leaving the system. Germany’s economy ministry said the new stations are expected to be available by 2031. (reuters.com) (bundesnetzagentur.de) Berlin’s gas-plant plan has been shrinking and slipping for more than a year. A 2024 consultation under the Power Plant Security Act had outlined 12.5 gigawatts, while the current government later shifted to 12 gigawatts in 2026, with only part of that reserved for gas-fired projects. (bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de) (cleanenergywire.org) (reuters.com) The ministry’s April draft also says later tenders could open to existing plants and other technologies, not just new gas units. That would move Germany closer to a broader capacity mechanism, where operators are paid for being available, not only for the electricity they actually sell. (cleanenergywire.org) (taylorwessing.com) The government has also tied the strategy to hydrogen. Reuters reported the new stations must be able to run on hydrogen by 2045 at the latest, in line with Germany’s climate-neutrality target. (reuters.com) Utilities have been waiting for these rules before committing capital. Reuters said companies including RWE, Uniper and EnBW have been looking for a framework that makes the projects financeable, while municipal utilities group VKU warned the draft could disadvantage smaller and local-authority-backed bidders. (reuters.com) (cleanenergywire.org) The next test is whether the draft survives coalition talks and wins final state-aid clearance in Brussels. If it does, Germany will move from years of planning into actual auctions before the end of 2026. (cleanenergywire.org) (reuters.com)