Westnetz boss on the energy transition: “We need the procedures to be accelerated”

Westnetz boss on the energy transition
“We need to speed up the process”

December 16, 2023, 11:11 a.m

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Germany has big goals: the country should be climate neutral by 2045. In addition, life is being electrified, with heat pumps and electric cars, but of course industry too. It’s a mammoth task. ntv.de speaks to Patrick Wittenberg, Managing Director of Westnetz.

Germany has big goals: the country should be climate neutral by 2045. In addition, life is being electrified, with heat pumps and electric cars, but of course industry too. It is a mammoth task: in order to achieve the energy transition, green electricity must be produced endlessly. And this electricity has to make it to homes and businesses. But where does Germany stand in terms of network expansion and what challenges need to be overcome? ntv.de speaks to Patrick Wittenberg, the managing director of Germany’s largest distribution network operator Westnetz.

ntv.de: What does the energy transition mean for your company?

Patrick Wittenberg: The energy transition is the biggest task the energy industry has ever faced.

And how do you go about it?

We are taking a new path and transforming our entire energy system: We are shutting down the large power plants, have already phased out nuclear energy, and we are also phasing out lignite and hard coal. For the transformation to be successful, we need two things: Firstly, massive network expansion. We need more and bigger lines and more and bigger transformers. And secondly, we are investing in the digitalization of our networks. We call this smartification – we build in sensors. Thanks to the sensors, we then know how busy the networks are and where there is still space, so to speak.

Germany wants to be climate neutral by 2045. Is the network expansion happening fast enough?

These are very specific goals. The network expansion is working well and sensibly. But the truth is also: I would like things to be quicker in one place or another. However, we have very lengthy planning and approval procedures. We need these procedures to be accelerated.

Are renewable energies actually enough for us?

We will continue to need back-up capacity in the future. Hydrogen power plants in particular are planned for this purpose in the future. At the same time, there is a great need for energy storage, whether pumped storage power plants or hydrogen-powered storage or battery storage. All of this helps our energy system.

Should we be afraid of a blackout?

We work significantly to ensure that such situations do not occur. With the new power plant plans and the expansion plans for conventional and renewable energies, we are on a sensible path to preventing exactly such scenarios. Our goal must be to provide Germany as an industrial nation and its citizens with a reliable power supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.

What is your vision for a climate-neutral year 2045?

In 2045 we will have a much smarter grid than we have today. We will not be able to ensure that electricity is only generated where it is consumed. Our country is too different for that. So we will also have a massive transport and distribution task for electricity in 2045. That’s what we’re working on, that’s our job, to set up this energy system so that it will work. And it will be.

Oliver Scheel spoke to Patrick Wittenberg