Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria’s Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy, as well as Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria, visited the Zolling site in May. During that visit, a memorandum of understanding regarding the planned power plant was signed.
Draft bill calls for a capacity market
The facility is to be built under the Electricity Supply Security and Capacity Act (StromVKG) . The German federal government approved the draft bill in May.
On the one hand, the draft calls for the introduction of a capacity market. This is intended to ensure a secure supply of electricity starting in 2031. A total of 11 GW of controllable capacity is to be put out to tender within the next 12 months.
On the other hand, security of supply will be further enhanced through a resilience criterion. This will ensure that the long-term capacities initially put out to bid—or their key components—are manufactured primarily within the European Economic Area.
The plant is designed to cover peak loads
In the future, the facility is expected to contribute to the stability of Bavaria’s energy system. Particularly during periods of low feed-in from renewable energy sources, it is intended to cover peak loads and support the electricity supply in southern Bavaria.
Aiwanger explained that new gas-fired power plants are necessary to ensure a secure and affordable energy supply in Bavaria. Due to the phase-out of nuclear power and the reduction of coal-fired power generation, gas-fired power plants are becoming increasingly important, especially in southern Germany. The planned hydrogen-capable plant is intended to secure the Zolling site’s future beyond 2031.
In February 2025 , commercial operation of Coal Unit 5 at the Zolling Power Plant was suspended. However, the plant will remain in the grid reserve until March 2031.
Onyx Germany Calls for a Reliable Legal Framework
Roman Ritter, power plant manager and managing director at Onyx Germany, emphasized that modern and flexible power plants would play a key role in the success of the energy transition in the future. However , he noted that implementing the project would require a reliable legal framework as well as effective bidding mechanisms.
