Germany Extends Operation of Lignite Coal Power Plants Amid Gas Supply Concerns

Credit: Claudio Mota/Pexels

has made the decision to extend the operation of its lignite power plants for an additional season, citing concerns over a cold winter and a scarcity of gas supplies. This move comes as a deviation from the coordinated and progressive shutdown of coal-fired power plants, which was originally planned as part of Germany's transition to cleaner energy sources. In exchange for their continued operation, these coal plants were to receive a share of the government's €40 billion ($42.1 billion) coal phase-out fund.

In 2022, German coal plants were kept operational to ensure a stable energy supply. The conflict in disrupted Germany's usual gas imports from , while issues in France's nuclear industry ruled out an expected alternative power source.

In response to these challenges, the German government passed two decrees in September 2022. One decree extended the operation of significant hard coal-fired power generation plants until March 31, 2024, while the other provided 1.9GW of power capacity generated from domestically mined brown coal.

This week, the government announced its intention to continue this policy, maintaining an additional 1.9GW of lignite coal-fired capacity alongside Germany's existing 45GW of coal power plants. The primary objective of this decision is to ensure energy prices remain stable during the upcoming winter and to prevent excessive depletion of gas reserves.

The government stated, “The supply reserve will be reactivated in order to save gas in generation and thus prevent supply bottlenecks with gas in the 2023/2024 heating period.”

Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

By pressing the Subscribe button, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Support Renewable Energy News!

At EnergyMagz, we believe that reliable, up-to-date news on renewable energy is vital for driving the world toward a sustainable future. By contributing, you’re not only supporting quality journalism, but also helping to shape the world’s transition to greener solutions.
DONATE  NOW
Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference.
close-link