What do Upper Palatinate wind turbines, Lower Bavarian solar plants, Swabian hydropower and Saudi Arabian hydrogen have in common? They’re all meant to supply Bavaria’s future energy.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, energy has been a major concern for Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder. Wherever the CSU leader can be heard, declarations and demands concerning (longer) nuclear plant operation times or price increases are quick to follow. Söder is set to travel overseas for the first time since the Corona crisis on Sunday. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the destinations in the energy discussion.
“It is a monothematic perspective journey determined by energy challenges,” Söder summarizes his “hydrogen excursion.” Interlocutors in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh will be given “Bavaria’s business card” to foster long-term connections beyond energy. Söder’s predecessors Horst Seehofer (2015), Günther Beckstein (2008), and Franz Josef Strauß (1986) all hoped for good business in the Gulf states.
Unlike prior trips, the Bavarian premier will not meet the Saudi king. Söder will also avoid discussing issues like arms deliveries. His goal at talks with energy ministers and major oil and hydrogen firms is different: “We want to open doors for southern Germany. We intend to build our own hydrogen infrastructure and are looking for partners.”
Those who know Söder know that his visits are often political, but this one is definitely domestic: “Our main concern is that future federal energy supply will only be arranged via northern Germany,” he says. This, he claims, threatens economic stability. “The south needs hydrocarbon pipelines. Also Trieste, Wilhelmshaven. So it’s a voyage until 2030 for Bavaria’s energy security.” Söder has a plan: Like fossil fuels, he believes a hydrogen pipeline from Trieste, Italy, to Bavaria is necessary. “We are now building the future.” Söder had highlighted the pipeline in his mid-March government statement. In the approaching state election, he will likely not leave the energy problem to the opposition. Söder does not want to leave anything to chance in the fall of 2023.
The Saudis, who have been consistently criticized for human rights abuses, have been on the radar of Western lawmakers for weeks. Following the execution of 81 people in one day, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Saudi Arabia on March 17.
Due of the assault against Ukraine, Russia is no longer an option for Bavaria. Söder expects future energy supplies from a wide range of countries, including Saudi Arabia. “Sure, it’s not easy. So that can’t be the lone source “he said. So, he continued, renewable energy sources must be expanded domestically and global partners sought. “We can’t become more reliant.”
Söder’s state government plans to offer a plan to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) after Easter. Because this is where a lot of things go wrong, including wind power and transmission line building. This includes solar energy with solar parks, but also wind energy with at least 500 new wind turbines in Bavaria. In this way, he continued, Bavaria contributes to the home energy transition by supplying affordable electricity.
“We are ahead in electromobility and digitization in Germany and are continuing to grow them,” stated Söder. In the current situation, he says, saving-only ideas are unrealistic. “Hydrogen is vital.” It’s the star, he said. “This should all be part of the Bavarian energy policy.”
