In the previous year, net income fell by 61 percent to EUR 140 million, although sales climbed by 56 percent to EUR 3.042 billion. Wien Energie’s long-term goal is to increasingly rely on renewable energies. In 2040, more than half of Vienna’s heat requirements are to be covered by district heating, which itself is to be 100 percent climate-neutral.
“I’m assuming that earnings will deteriorate again in 2022,” said Michael Strebl, CEO, to journalists on Monday. In 2021, the amount of gas used was reduced by 28 percent, but the price had to be doubled. If necessary, one could switch quickly when used in power plants: “We have four heating plants where we can replace the gas with oil”. Biomass can also be used in the Vienna-Simmering power plant.
Installment agreements for payment problems
According to Strebl, he does not want to “get carried away” with “speculations” about the effects on energy customer prices because the markets are very volatile. Gas was already made more expensive on February 1st and electricity on January 1st. “We monitor the markets very closely. It is important that we invest our way out of our dependence on natural gas.” Wien Energie is around 60 percent dependent on gas for district heating, and even more so for electricity. There are installment agreements for energy customers with payment problems, which are back to a normal level after the corona-related fluctuations with 35,000 customers.
One billion euros for gas exit
In the five years from 2022 to 2026, Wien Energie intends to invest EUR 1.29 billion, EUR 1 billion of which for the gas phase-out. Specifically, 48 percent of the billion should flow into heat projects and 26 percent into the expansion of renewables. According to Strebl, three quarters of the 164 million euros planned for this year are intended for “Raus aus Gas”, namely 35 percent for the district heating expansion, for the large heat pump ebs wien and for the GeoTief Vienna geothermal heat project, 31 percent for the renewables -Expansion, specifically the construction of a further 61 PV systems, the purchase of wind farms and the start of the Trumau wind farm project.
Geothermal energy is set to become increasingly important
In 2021, Wien Energie generated a total of 1,260 gigawatt hours (GWh) of green electricity, which corresponds to the needs of the equivalent of 630,000 Viennese households. Of this, at 77.5 GWh, almost two and a half times as much solar power was produced as in 2020 or five times as much as in 2018. Austria is currently the leading photovoltaic operator with around 320 systems and an installed capacity of over 85 megawatts (MW).
In the case of PV, there are currently 400 projects for 600 MW capacity in a more detailed analysis. “In the course of the year, Wien Energie intends to break the 100 MW limit for installed PV capacity and 200 MW for wind power,” says Wien Energie Managing Director Karl Gruber. In three to four years, the first heat from geothermal sources (from several kilometers deep) should be fed into the grid. Geothermal energy is set to become increasingly important in the future. In the medium and longer term, one also has hydrogen in mind.