Sustainability or illusion? Debate around Cuxhavens wood -heating power plant
Sustainability or illusion? Debate around Cuxhavens wood -heating power plant
The controversy around the new wooden heating system in Cuxhaven has gained intensity in the past few weeks. The system, which was built in 2020, plans to burn between 100,000 and 140,000 tons of wood annually to generate heat. While the operator, Forte Energie company, promotes the project as sustainable and CO₂-neutral, they harvest strong resistance from environmental associations such as Robin Wood, Bund and Parents4future. These organizations question the ecological arguments of the operators and do not see wood burning as an environmentally friendly solution.
The problem becomes particularly clear when you look at the global trends of deforestation. The forest areas shrink dramatically, which makes it difficult to understand to use wood as fuel. Jana Ballenthien from Robin Wood draws attention to the fact that 600,000 hectares of forest have been lost in Germany alone in recent years. An essential part of the wood, which is to be burned in Cuxhaven, will be fresh wood, the extraction of which goes hand in hand with the clearing of forests. Tobias Söhl from the Parents4future calls for a change of perspective: wood should rather be used for the production of long -lasting products instead of simply burning it.
criticism of the sustainability promise
forte energy defends itself by argumenting that the wood-fired power plant is CO₂-neutral because the burned wood has absorbed as much carbon dioxide during its growth as it is burned. However, this calculation, which is based on the methods of the World Climate Council IPCC, is dismissed by the environmental associations as misleading. The combustion of wood immediately releases large amounts of CO₂, while reforestation takes time and often cannot be guaranteed. The sustainability of the certified wood stocks is questioned in particular in the case of imported wood from regions such as North Carolina.
Another major concern of the environmental organizations is the concern that not only domestic wood but also imported wood is burned. With a planned amount of up to 140,000 tons annually, it is unlikely that it only comes from regional sources. Forte Energie has already thought of importing wood from Scandinavia and the Baltic States, which also reinforces the concerns of the environmental associations with regard to global effects of wood burning.
alternatives to wood burning
In addition, environmental associations criticize the financial support of the power plant by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). You perceive this funding as "absurd", especially in a region like Cuxhaven, which has plenty of wind resources and is close to the sea. Instead of burning wood, they recommend the use of innovative technologies such as large-scale heat pumps and power-to-heat systems for district heating generation.
The city of Cuxhaven remains reserved in its position on energy planning. While city spokesman Marcel Kolbenstetter admits that wood is a renewable raw material, he also emphasizes that the quality of the burned wood must be carefully weighed up. So far, there are no concrete plans for how the energy that is generated in the power plant could be used for public buildings. However, one is actively developing a heat plan to better understand the city's future energy requirements.
The continuing criticism of forte energy is increased by the company's lack of answers. Despite multiple inquiries about the allegations, the willingness to communicate of the company remains in low. This has led to growing resentment among the opponents of the project, which demand clarity and transparency. The controversy around the wood -heating power plant in Cuxhaven is therefore not only a local, but also a global challenge, which results in far -reaching discussions about the use of wood as an energy source and its ecological consequences.