Habeck assures support: Scholz promises heat pump offensive

A large proportion of the CO2 emissions in Germany are attributable to the heating sector.

Habeck assures support: Scholz promises heat pump offensive

A large proportion of the CO2 emissions in Germany are attributable to the heating sector. More and more gas and oil heating systems are therefore to be replaced by climate-friendly variants. Around 230,000 heat pumps were installed last year. Chancellor Scholz wants to more than double this number by 2024.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced a significant expansion of renewable energies and climate-friendly heat supply in Germany. "From 2024 we will be installing 500,000 new heat pumps every year," he said at the association of municipal companies, with a view to the debate about the gradual phase-out of gas and oil heating.

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck has promised "great social support" for the intended installation of climate-friendly heating systems in Germany in the coming years. "The heat issue will not become a social issue, I promise," said Habeck, also at the congress in Berlin. According to the Economics Minister, heating in Germany is 50 percent gas and 25 percent oil. In view of Germany's climate goals, this cannot remain the case.

Scholz also said that the gas power plants, which could later also be operated with hydrogen, would be significantly expanded. He did not mention a number in his speech. "Hydrogen can and will replace natural gas, oil and coal - especially in industry, in the energy sector, but also in air, sea and heavy-duty transport." Electricity demand will increase from 600 terawatt hours today to 750 terawatt hours by 2030. 80 percent of this would then be generated by renewable energies. "By 2030 we want to build up ten gigawatts of electrolysis capacity in Germany - that's twice as much as originally planned in the national hydrogen strategy," added the Chancellor, referring to hydrogen production.

According to Scholz, energy in Germany must remain affordable. He backed Habeck's announcement that it would enable an industrial electricity price - by allowing companies to buy green electricity directly from the energy producer. The federal government will promote so-called power purchase agreements between buyers and producers of renewable energies, said Scholz. Habeck had announced that he would quickly implement a concept for an industrial electricity price in Germany. He named costs of five to nine cents for renewable energies, which should reach the companies in full, for example through direct contracts. "That would be part of an industrial electricity price from the market," said Habeck.

According to the Federal Association of Heat Pumps, sales of heating heat pumps increased from 120,000 in 2020 to 154,000 in 2021 to 236,000 last year.