Germany's energy network regulator is raising pressure on German states to allow a stand-by power plant to function as a reserve for the winter by a Sept. 1 deadline, and the latest developments point to Baden Wuerttemberg as a likely host.
Germany's hasty decision to pull out of nuclear power left the country's power systems short of some 8,800 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity.
The regulator, the federal network agency headed by Matthias Kurth, is obliged to ensure by Sept. 1 that enough power will be on standby to balance the grids this winter, when demand is high and renewable power supplies tend to be less than during the summer.
"We are in contact with Baden Wuerttemberg state and also with other states," said a spokesman for the authority. "We are looking into all options," he said, adding that no interim decision would be communicated.
The reserve plant would operate up to March 2013, by which time it is anticipated enough renewable power capacity will have been added to make an additional reserve plant unnecessary.
A spokesman for the Baden Wuerttemberg government said Kurth would receive communication about the status of operational permits for GKM 3, a 220 MW coal-fired block, by Friday. Block 3 is 35 years old and currently only allowed to run if one of the plant's other four blocks stop.
Media have zeroed in on the state, because it has energy-intensive industries and is most likely to suffer from shortages. It has contributed to the potential problems by shutting two reactors operated by utility EnBW .
Daily paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that either EnBW's Philippsburg 1 reactor or GKM 3 were best placed for taking on the reserve function.
GKM, based in Mannheim, is run jointly by RWE , EnBW and local utility MVV (MVVGn.DE).
An MVV spokesman said, "GKM would offer good conditions for that, but we don't want to comment on the political decisions."
For GKM to become a fully fledged reserve plant, the GKM would need a so-called 5-block permit, he added.
This would put the state government, which would have to issue the permit and liaise with Kurth, in a difficult position, however. Power there is shared by Social Democrats and anti-nuclear Greens, who also oppose coal-fired power generation.
An EnBW spokeswoman declined to comment on the process.
Utility E.ON (EONGn.DE) said it had not been asked by the energy regulator to ready its idled Isar 1 nuclear reactor in Bavaria state.
A lack of contact between the regulator and E.ON just a week before the deadline suggests its plants will not be called upon.
"We have no particular requirement from the agency to prepare Isar 1 for the so-called cold reserve," said a spokesman for E.ON on Wednesday.
RWE, whose Biblis B reactor in Hesse state could theoretically be picked because its location is close to potential network shortfalls, declined comment.
Biblis B has no support from its supervisory authority to be reactivated.
