‘The situation is serious’: Germany plans to fire up coal plants as Russia throttles gas supplies – By Sam Meredith (CNBC) / June 20, 2022
- Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday warned that the situation is going to be “really tight in winter” without precautionary measures to prevent a supply shortage.
- In light of that, Germany will seek to compensate for a cut in Russian gas supplies by increasing the burning of coal.
- Coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel in terms of emissions and therefore the most important target for replacement in the transition to renewable alternatives.
Germany has said the deteriorating gas market situation means Europe’s largest economy must limit the use of natural gas for electricity production and burn more coal for a “transitional period.”
Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday warned that the situation is going to be “really tight in winter” without precautionary measures to prevent a supply shortage.
As a result, Germany will seek to compensate for a cut in Russian gas supplies by increasing the burning of coal — the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel in terms of emissions and therefore the most important target for replacement in the transition toward renewable alternatives.
“That’s bitter, but it’s almost necessary in this situation to reduce gas consumption. We must and we will do everything we can to store as much gas as possible in summer and autumn,” the Green Party’s Habeck said in a statement, according to a translation.
