Stadtwerke Flensburg reduces CO2 emissions: less coal, more gas!

Stadtwerke Flensburg reduces CO2 emissions: less coal, more gas!

Flensburg municipal utilities are making great progress on their way to climate neutrality. In 2024, the municipal utilities were able to reduce their CO2 emissions by around 10% compared to the previous year, which is a remarkable achievement. A total of 463,508 tons of CO2 were emitted. Statistically speaking, half of the CO2 footprint of a Flensburg city resident comes from the municipal utilities. The main reason for this reduction is the replacement of coal with natural gas, resulting in a reduction in emissions of approximately 40%. What is particularly noteworthy is that a second gas and steam turbine power plant has been in operation since the summer of 2023, supporting the municipal utilities in their climate policy. According to NDR, Flensburg is therefore slightly above the reduction path of the transformation plan for climate neutrality, which should be completed by 2035.

So what exactly lies ahead? One of the next major measures is the construction of the first large heat pump, which is scheduled to go into operation in 2027. This is intended to use conveyor water to generate heat. A second large heat pump is planned for 2031. However, the city is facing challenges: the planned heat pumps can only provide half of the required winter output, which means that the municipal utilities have to resort to green hydrogen. This is not expected to be available from Denmark before 2032. In addition, a conversion of the district heating network is necessary in order to optimally use the energy from the large heat pumps.

The challenges of climate goals

However, Stadtwerke Flensburg is not alone with its goals. According to the Federal Environment Agency, Germany has set itself the ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 65% ​​by 2030 compared to 1990. A recently published short paper by UBA predicts that Germany can exceed the cumulative annual total by 81 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in the period 2021-2030. However, despite this positive balance, there are some significant missed targets in certain sectors, such as transport and buildings. Additional efforts are still needed to achieve the climate goals in a timely manner.

The legal requirements, which aim to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, require an extensive switch to renewable energies. According to the Federal Climate Protection Act, emissions should be reduced by 88% by 2030 compared to 1990. The federal government also plans to increase the share of renewable energies in electricity consumption to at least 80% by then and has set ambitious expansion goals for wind and solar energy. The planned phase-out of energy production from coal-fired power plants should ideally be completed by 2030. These measures are important in order to meet the challenges of climate change and achieve the set goals, as Deutschland reports.

Overall, despite the progress we have made, there is still a lot of work ahead of us. Stadtwerke Flensburg and the entire Federal Republic must continue to think and act innovatively in order not only to achieve the climate goals, but also to set the course for a sustainable future. A good hand is required because time is of the essence.