Germany is rolling back its environmentally fuelled commitment to phase out the usage of coal amid ongoing shortages of Russian gas supplies to the country.
Coal mines, many of which have been lying idle for years, will be recommissioned to avoid energy shortages in the wake of the Russia – Ukraine conflict, which has been blamed for the ongoing energy woes being experienced around Europe.
Speaking to CNN Business, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the country would restart usage of “coal-fired power plants for a transitional period” in efforts to reduce the usage of gas for electricity production.
The Green party or ‘Die Grünen’ member continued, “We are setting up a gas substitute reserve on call. “That’s bitter, but it’s almost necessary in this situation to reduce gas consumption,”.
Meanwhile the head of German utility Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk (RWE) has warned that EU solidarity could be in for a rocky road if Russia cuts off gas supplies.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Markus Krebber said: “The real fear I have is that if we don’t sort it out before the situation happens.”
He continued, “I’m not so much concerned that we cannot find agreement, but it is better to discuss emergency proceedings when you still have time and not when the house is on fire,”
“If you don’t operationalise it then you end up in chaos.”
Amid the mounting energy crisis Germany decided to ease some restrictions and revert to coal after Russia’s gas giant Gazprom cut deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming technical issues.
The Washington Post reported that “the new German coalition government made up of the center-left Social Democrats, Greens and the liberal Free Democrats had put climate policy at the center of its agenda”.
Minister also criticized Russia’s seeming reticence in restoring full service of the pipeline saying “The situation is serious,” describing supply cuts as an “attack being carried out against us with energy as a weapon,”.
Since the Bundestag decided in favor of lifting restrictions on coal Berlin has managed to reduce its dependence on Russian gas from 55% to 35% since the start of the Russia – Ukraine conflict.
Ironically Germany had planned to phase out coal by 2030, with its last black coal mine, Proper-Haniel, being ‘shut down for good’ three years ago.
At the height of Germany coal mining, there were reportedly 163 pits operating across the country.
Last week President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned of ‘backsliding’ amid moves by a number of European nations for their return to coal despite environmentally driven pledges to no longer invest in non-renewable fossil fuels.
Europe is set to face a winter of discontent as the war in Ukraine drags on with no end in sight amid huge economic sanctions put in place against Russia, the largest supplier of natural gas and petroleum oils to the EU.
Last week the chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned Europe to prepare for a total shutdown of the Russian gas supply.
In recent months Russian gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria were stopped.