Kraftwerksstrategie
German strategy to auction 8 GW of gas plant capacity; first tender set September 2026.
Last refreshed: 27 April 2026
Will Germany's first gas power auction actually launch in September 2026?
Timeline for Kraftwerksstrategie
Germany sets September 2026 for first 8 GW gas auction
European Energy Markets- What is Germany's Kraftwerksstrategie?
- The Kraftwerksstrategie is Germany's power plant strategy authorising 8 GW of gas plant tenders and up to 2 GW of other technologies. All plants must be hydrogen-ready and decarbonise by 2045. The first auction is scheduled for September 2026, pending EU Commission state-aid clearance.Source:
- Does the Kraftwerksstrategie require plants to run on hydrogen?
- Yes. All plants under the Kraftwerksstrategie must be capable of operating on hydrogen and meet a full decarbonisation pathway by 2045. They are designed as transitional dispatchable assets bridging Germany's renewable build-out.Source:
- What is the timeline for Germany's first gas plant auction under the Kraftwerksstrategie?
- Germany plans its first gas plant auction for September 2026, covering 8 GW of gas capacity and up to 2 GW of other technologies (10 GW total). The auction is contingent on EU Commission state-aid clearance, which has not yet been granted.Source: German Federal Economy Ministry
Background
The Kraftwerksstrategie (Power Plant Strategy) is Germany's federal framework for procuring new dispatchable gas-fired generation to back up its expanding renewable capacity. The strategy authorises 8 GW of gas plant tenders and up to 2 GW of other technologies, totalling 10 GW. All plants must be capable of operating on hydrogen and meeting a decarbonisation pathway by 2045. The first auction is set for September 2026.
The strategy emerged from the SPD-Greens-FDP Coalition and is designed to replace Germany's residual coal and nuclear capacity with flexible, hydrogen-ready dispatchable generation. It is awaiting EU Commission state-aid clearance — a prerequisite before the first auction can proceed. September 2026 is therefore a political commitment contingent on Brussels.
For European gas markets, the Kraftwerksstrategie has structural demand implications: 8 GW of new German gas plant, if built and operated at reasonable load factors, represents a significant incremental demand claim on the European gas supply stack in the early 2030s, arriving as the German storage levy has already lapsed and the country relies on commercial injection economics.
