Power failures in Saxony-Anhalt: What about security of supply?

Power failures in Saxony-Anhalt: What about security of supply?

power failures in Saxony-Anhalt: A look at the security of supply

The figures of the Federal Network Agency show that Saxony-Anhalt has been affected by power outages more than other federal states in recent years. With almost 21 minutes of power failure on average from 2012 to 2022, Saxony-Anhalt was just behind Brandenburg with 22 minutes. But the figures for the Ministry of the Environment in Magdeburg are no reason to concern. A spokesman emphasized that security of supply is generally very high in Saxony-Anhalt and Germany, also compared to other European countries. In fact, the Federal Network Agency's data has shown that security of supply has increased in recent years, especially in Saxony-Anhalt. While an average power failure of 48 minutes was recorded in Saxony-Anhalt in 2008, this value was about 16 minutes in 2022.

increased power outages in East Germany

A ministry spokesman pointed out that the comparison of the federal states should be considered with regard to the power outages and only shows a general trend. However, it is striking that the East German countries generally have higher values, with the exception of Saxony. This could be due to the lower population density. Due to the major distances in the infrastructure, supply interruptions in rural areas could occur faster than in urban regions. Power failures usually occur regionally, for example due to storms, construction work or short circuits.

Local effects of thunderstorms

Last weekend, several thunderstorms led to local power failures. Households in Osterburg in the Altmark and about 2,000 households in the southern Harz were without electricity for an hour and a half. The network operators stated that lightning strikes were the cause in both cases. Such local interruptions are one of the most common causes of power failures in Saxony-Anhalt and emphasize the importance of a reliable power supply in the region.

- Nag