Munich reaches green electricity destination: Stadtwerke set standards of the future!

Munich reaches green electricity destination: Stadtwerke set standards of the future!

Freimann, Deutschland - The Stadtwerke Munich (SWM) have achieved their ambitious goal: from now on they generate as much green electricity as the city consumes annually. According to Süddeutscher Zeitung currently produces 6.7 Terawatt hours (TWH) Ökostrom, which is more than the forecast 6.2 TWH for the current year. This remarkable performance is the result of a consistent switch to renewable energies since 2009 when the city council set the course for this. At that time, the production of green electricity was only 0.4 TWh.

Florian Bieberbach, head of the SWM for 16 years, described the first city council resolution as a significant period of time. The switch to green electricity was a real feat: 90 % of the TWH produced now comes from wind power, mainly from Scandinavian regions and on the North Sea coast. As a reminder: In 2009, the SWM generation mix was strongly shaped by coal, natural gas and nuclear energy.

A look into the future

The SWM not only look back on the milestones achieved, but also plan another expansion offensive in the area of ​​renewable energies. The increasing electricity requirement in Munich, which is to increase to 6.8 TWh by 2030 and even 8.2 TWh by 2040, requires additional measures. The expansion of the renewables has been criticized in the past because many projects were implemented outside of Munich. So far, only 7.6 % of the SWM ecostrom is generated in Bavaria, despite almost 250 planned projects in the region.

The conversion of energy generation is comprehensive: by the end of 2022, the Isar 2 nuclear power plant should go off the network in order to further advance the switch to fossil fuels. So far, the proportion of electricity production from renewable energies has already been 90 %, a sudden increase in 5 % in 2009.

Current projects

The new projects include a photovoltaic open-air area in Zengermoos, which is intended to create 44 GWH green electricity per year. This system will be put into operation this year. In addition, three new solar parks are installed in Garching, Stachusried and Zenermoos, as well as a wind farm with six systems in Schernfeld by 2030. The SWM are also involved in the offshore wind sector with a project in England and planning wind projects in Rammelshofen, the completion of which is planned for 2026.

The SWM not only rely on an increase in the production capacities, but also on customer service: various offers such as M-Eaststrom Regional and M-Solar Plus should continue to support the energy transition. With an annual profit of an average of 130 million euros since 2020, the green electricity segment for the Munich Stadtwerke has been a successful business area and shows that sustainability and economy can go hand in hand.

According to the SWM, the aim is to reach complete climate neutrality by 2040 - five years earlier than the federal government. The development in the coming years could therefore be crucial for how Munich is set up when it comes to climate protection and energy supply. Comprehensive measures in the traffic transition, such as e-buses and charging infrastructure, are also promoted. Now it remains exciting how the energy transition will continue to develop in our beautiful city.