Germany plans for more coal amid Russia gas supply drop: ‘bitter but necessary’

Name: Climate deal to ‘phase down’ coal reached at COP26 as nations seek to avert climate disaster
Uploaded: 2022-06-19T10:59:48.000Z
Duration: 3 min 7 s
Description: Climate deal to ‘phase down’ coal reached at COP26 as nations seek to avert climate disaster

Economy Minister Robert Habeck says Germany will try to compensate for gas reduction by increasing the burning of coal, a more polluting fossil fuel

‘That’s bitter, but it’s simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage’

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A truck being loaded with coal. Germany is planning to use more of the polluting fossil fuel as it feels the impact of a reduced gas supply from Russia. File photo: Reuters

Agencies

Published: 6:59pm, 19 Jun 2022Updated: 9:35pm, 19 Jun 2022

Germany will take emergency measures to ensure it meets its energy needs after the drop in supply of Russian gas, including increased use of coal, the government said on Sunday.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the country will try to compensate by increasing the burning of coal, a more polluting fossil fuel.

“That’s bitter, but it’s simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage,” he said.

“To reduce gas consumption, less gas must be used to generate electricity. Coal-fired power plants will have to be used more instead,” the economy ministry said in a statement.

Germany has been trying to fill its gas storage facilities to capacity ahead of the winter months, when gas is more urgently needed as a heating fuel.

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Climate deal to ‘phase down’ coal reached at COP26 as nations seek to avert climate disaster

While the situation on the gas markets has become more acute in recent days, storage facilities are still able to make up the shortfall from Russia with purchases from elsewhere. Still, Habeck said the situation was serious.