In this simpliefied study we have shown that a significant part of the electricity, namely about 30 %, can be provided for the cities of Potsdam and Brandenburg/Havel by Wind-to-Gas CH4 using 14,8 % of the electricity generated by REU in the State of Branden burg, which is the equivalent of the full load of 439 wind turbines in 2010 or less depending on the weather. The overall efficiency of the system is 32.4 %. If the system is expanded, as we suggest here, and coupled to dynamic reservoirs for CH4 and CO2 storage, the system becomes carbon neutral. In this case 17.2 % of electricity generated by REU in the State of Brandenburg is required. The overall efficiency drops by 4.7 % to 27.7 %. The main contribution to this efficiency reduction is the CO2 capture process attached to the combined cycle power plant, since
the energetic costs for storage are small (0.2 %) , based on a simplified model approach. The full load of 510 wind turbines would have been needed in 2010 and could be as low as 450 in 2007, which again demonstrates the influence of meteorology on an energy system based on REU. The analysis also showed that the 50hertz control zone and the State of Brandenburg currently have very high shares of wind turbines and not every federal state in Germany could operate such a system beside the costs associated with the suggested technology. Nevertheless, with the aim of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 80 % in 2050 in mind, the concept can play an important role for the reduction of CO2
emissions and the revision of energy systems in Germany. The main advantage of the presented Wind-to-Gas concept is that is carbon neutral, the anticipated projects are of manageable size and major investments into transport infrastructure are not necessary as the different facilities are in direct proximity of each other.