EnBW reprioritises its storage projects: The Atdorf pump storage project will not be pursued further
Karlsruhe. EnBW Energie-Baden Württemberg AG is engaged in a variety of different activities in the area of storage technologies. Following an intensive examination of all projects and an evaluation of the results of a public hearing carried out during the planning approval process for the Atdorf pump storage project, EnBW has now reprioritised its storage activities: The new construction project in Atdorf will not be pursued further.
Neither the energy industry nor regulatory framework conditions for pump storage projects such as Atdorf have developed in a positive way over the last few years. Despite these challenging market conditions, EnBW had always emphatically supported and promoted the development of pump storage projects, as well as simultaneously expanding its activities that focus on other storage technologies. The recent conclusion of the public hearing represented a further milestone in the development of the Atdorf project and EnBW has now taken this opportunity to reprioritise its various different storage projects.
“Over the last few months, we have examined the results of the three week public hearing and the official follow-up hearings held with Schluchseewerk AG. On the basis of the final evaluations now available to us, we have come to the conclusion not to continue with the project”, according to Dirk Güsewell, Head of Portfolio Development/Generation at EnBW. The public hearing did not actually raise any concerns that would have fundamentally called into question the project's prospects of receiving approval. Nevertheless, the in-depth examination revealed that the subsequent stages of the project would require significant cost and time-intensive work. Amongst other things, this involved comprehensive examinations of the ecological mapping and the environmental compensation concept. And there was still no firm and reliable timeframe for the implementation of the project.
Due to their huge importance for the stability of the system and the security of supply, storage technologies continue to be a firm part of the EnBW portfolio – although with a new focus. The company thus remains highly dedicated to this area. EnBW is thus firmly committed, for example, to its cooperation projects for new storage technologies which include a lithium-ion storage system with Bosch at the Heilbronn power plant site, the pilot energy management project with ALDI Süd or also other pump storage activities such as the Obervermuntwerk II (in construction, planned commissioning in 2018) or Forbach (an expansion project for an existing EnBW plant) projects.