Mayor Katja Dörner welcomed the Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection to the Old Town Hall for an exchange on the challenges and opportunities of the change process in the municipalities, and together they visited the northern combined heat and power plant of Bonn's municipal utilities. The central topics were Bonn's climate plan 2035, the importance of municipal utilities for the energy and heating transition and cooperation between the federal, state and local governments. Afterwards, Dr. Robert Habeck signed the guest book of the City of Bonn.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck: "The decarbonization of all business areas targeted by the municipal utilities in Bonn by 2035 - from electricity generation to heat to waste recycling - makes the company a pioneer among the municipal utilities. Bonn is thus going well beyond the national climate target and demonstrating a pioneering spirit. The heating transition is taking place locally; there is no blueprint that fits all. However, with the Heat Planning Act, which has been in force since January, we have set a binding framework for this. At the same time, we are supporting municipal utilities with federal funding for efficient heating."
"The Climate Plan is both a strategic roadmap and a catalog of measures for the city to become climate-neutral by 2035. With the climate plan, we want to make Bonn fit for the future. Climate protection and adapting to the consequences of the climate crisis will be crucial to maintaining the quality of life in the city. That is why we are investing in funding programs for photovoltaics and greening, the expansion of the Bonn Energy Agency, but also in the new climate districts in order to involve the people of Bonn with their ideas. Our municipal utilities are a key partner on the road to climate neutrality. The fact that the city administration and municipal subsidiaries are pulling together so well is immensely important," said Mayor Dörner.
Federal Minister Habeck visited Bonn's Stadtwerke Nord combined heat and power plant together with the Mayor. "A key component of the climate transition is the question of how we are going to heat our homes in future," said Katja Dörner. "The aim is to switch from fossil natural gas and oil to climate-friendly heating networks and heat pumps. Municipal heating planning will provide a reliable framework for how heating can be supplied safely and fairly in the future. It is very good that we are moving quickly with the preparation of heat planning in Bonn, creating clarity at an early stage. This also helps us to secure important specialists, affordable materials and funding."
The focus of the visit to the municipal utilities was on the hydrogen-capable gas turbines in the North CHP plant, the development of a high-performance waste-to-energy plant on the site of the current waste recycling plant and a river water heat pump in the Rhine. The municipal company is planning major investments for the heat transition.
Olaf Hermes, Chairman of the SWB Management Board and Managing Director of SWB Energie und Wasser, called for the federal government's funding for combined heat and power (CHP) to be extended beyond 2026. The hydrogen-capable gas turbines in the CHP plant produce electricity and heat via CHP. "The further expansion of combined heat and power generation is not only very sensible, but above all feasible and must therefore be expanded at all costs. CHP power plants are highly efficient and ensure a secure and climate-friendly supply even in the winter months - above all, they can effectively reduce CO2 emissions. That is why we are promoting this technology in Bonn," said Hermes.
SWB's realignment contributes to the security of energy self-sufficiency, as state-of-the-art plant technology enables the municipal utilities to generate more climate-friendly electricity and district heating in the city for the city. This will reduce dependence on fossil fuels by 2035, meaning that these targets may be achieved ten years earlier than the targets set at federal level.