Buyback of the Bavarian hydroelectric power plants: Probst fights for the Isar!

Buyback of the Bavarian hydroelectric power plants: Probst fights for the Isar!

In Bavaria, the discussion about buying back hydroelectric power plants is at the top of the political agenda. Karl Probst, who has headed the “Save the Isar Now” association since 2014, is also concerned with this. In recent months he has not only carried out an excursion to the Bächental, but also met representatives of Tiroler Wasserkraft AG (Tiwag) to talk about the Dürrach tributary to the Isar. In particular, the Walchensee power plant, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is becoming the focal point of these debates. This historic power plant, which uses water from Walchensee to flow into Kochelsee, is now part of the Uniper energy company.

Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) announced in June 2024 that all Bavarian hydroelectric power plants would be bought back from Uniper. Probst criticizes the fact that the Bavarian state government “sold off” the hydroelectric power plants during the privatization euphoria of the 1990s. It often remains unclear how the buybacks can actually be implemented, because the contractually secured reversion rights are missing at the Walchensee power plant. This means that the Free State has lost the opportunity to take back the power plant after the concession expires.

Repossession rights and buyback debate

Over 80 hydroelectric power plants owned by Uniper could be returned with reversionary rights between 2030 and 2074. This creates a lot of fuel in the political discussion. Probst has already advocated for the Free State to negotiate directly with the federal government so that the hydroelectric power plants can be bought back. A petition with 5,000 signatures was submitted to the Bavarian state parliament, but it has not yet been forwarded to the state parliament.

The complexity of the issue is also made clear by Thomas Holz, CSU member of the state parliament, who emphasizes that a distinction must be made between federal participation and repatriation rights. According to the Bavarian state government, the Federal Ministry of Finance will not interfere in Uniper's operational business. Uniper itself, which is 99 percent owned by the federal government, has made it clear that it does not want to distance itself from hydropower in order to meet EU requirements. Due to these requirements, it could be problematic if the fallback only takes effect until 2060, as this could also have an impact on flood management.

Sustainable energy and hydropower

The importance of hydropower as a sustainable energy source is becoming increasingly obvious in this context. According to a report, hydropower could save around 15 million tons of CO2 annually, thereby contributing to stable regional electricity supply. There are around 7,300 hydropower plants in Germany with an installed capacity of around 5,600 megawatts (MW) - the television landscape shows that hydropower is very popular. 94 percent of these systems are small hydropower plants, which make a decisive contribution to electricity production, while the majority of 17.5 terawatt hours per year is generated by larger systems.

In many European countries, the hydroelectric power plants are in state hands, which represents a completely different way of dealing with this valuable resource compared to Germany. The Bavarian state government must now act to make hydropower future-proof. Probst compares the relationship between the federal government and Uniper to that of a homeowner and a property manager. It is clear here that it is high time to move forward with the discussions so that hydropower is brought back in Bavaria not only on paper, but also in practice. Politicians hope that buying back the hydroelectric power plants could bring not only environmental but also economic benefits that are important for the entire region.

Finally, the question remains: How far will the Bavarian Free State go to actually regain its hydroelectric power plants? The population is eagerly awaiting the next steps.

For more information about the buyback plans and the role of hydropower in Bavaria, take a look at the reports from South Germans, BR and Hydropower Germany.