MVV Manager: Germany's 2045 Climate Goal Impossible with Gas Heating

Alexandra Halkenhäuser, head of network strategy and concessions at MVV Energie AG, stated that Germany cannot achieve climate neutrality by 2045 if gas heating remains in use. In an interview with der Freitag, she explained that MVV, which is 50.1% owned by the city of Mannheim and one of Germany's largest energy companies, plans to phase out its gas network in Mannheim and the surrounding area. The company, with over 6,800 employees and annual revenue of about 6.1 billion euros in 2025, will not simply shut down the network—which it is not legally permitted to do—but will instead promote climate-friendly and more economical alternatives such as heat pumps and green district heating. Halkenhäuser emphasized that the transition is essential for meeting national climate targets. The interview was published in the current issue of der Freitag.