It is a far-reaching decision: Stadtwerke Gießen will remain a gas supply partner of the municipality of Reiskirchen for another 20 years.
On 12 December 2022, the municipality of Reiskirchen and Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) concluded a concession agreement for the continuation of the gas supply. The partners are thus continuing their successful collaboration for another 20 years. Reiskirchen's Mayor Dietmar Kromm, Jens Schmidt, Commercial Director of SWG, and Matthias Funk, Technical Director of SWG, sealed the ongoing partnership with their signatures. "We are delighted that, after lengthy negotiations, we were able to win over our competitors with our new offer," explained Matthias Funk at the signing of the contract in Reiskirchen town hall.
Lengthy procedure
In order to be allowed to operate gas grids, energy suppliers need the approval of the municipality in the form of a concession agreement. Following the tender in December 2016, SWG was initially awarded the contract. However, a competitor filed a lawsuit against the decision of the municipality of Reiskirchen and the municipal decision was overturned during the course of the proceedings. Due to this delay, SWG was only able to submit its second bid in June 2021, which was once again convincing and was accepted by a clear margin. Mayor Dietmar Kromm commented: "Stadtwerke Gießen has already proven to be a reliable partner for the municipality of Reiskirchen in the past. Not only is their offer the best option, but the local proximity is also a clear advantage for both sides - for example in terms of response times in the event of faults or customer service."
Long contract term reduces costs
The contract term of 20 years, which seems hopelessly outdated in our fast-moving times and in view of the energy crisis, makes perfect sense. After all, low costs require efficient operation. And this is only possible if you can plan for the medium and long term. Jens Schmidt confirms: "Our task is to ensure a secure and reliable supply, which is why we invest large sums in expanding and maintaining the grids. To be able to work economically, we need stability and security."
Gas remains a bridging technology
Despite all the efforts to achieve the heating transition and the demands of the current times, natural gas will remain an important pillar of the energy supply for a long time to come. Matthias Funk explains: "It remains to be seen which options will actually be considered for further use of the grids in the future - whether this will be biogas or even hydrogen, for example, cannot be reliably predicted at the present time."