Legal Opinion “Flexibilization of power and heat generation from cogeneration plants (FlexKWK)” (Rechtsgutachten „Flexibilisierung der Strom- u. Wärmeerzeugung aus KWK-Anlagen (FlexKWK)”)

Network congestion and the resulting curtailment of renewable energy plants pose a major challenge to the energy transition. This is particularly the case in the northern German states with high shares of volatile power generation from wind energy. The legislator has already reacted to this with legal instruments, but these are not yet sufficient. Our task is therefore to develop a new model for making electricity and heat generation from cogeneration plants more flexible. With this model, cogeneration plant operators who operate a heat network with the generated heat are to be legally obliged to add an additional heat storage facility. The aim of the proposal is to avoid the curtailment of electricity from renewable energies. At the same time, the heat storage option is intended to shift electricity generation in the cogeneration plants to times with lower electricity supply and therefore higher revenues for electricity generation. The cogeneration plants should be able to maintain the necessary flexibility through the heat accumulator.

Duration: May 2021 – July 2022

Funded by: Commissioned by the Landesverband Erneuerbare Energien MV e. V. with funds from the project “Klimaschutz durch Wärmewende und Sektorenkopplung”, supported by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Project partners: Fraunhofer IEE