Senior German Green Robert Habeck. By Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

German Vice Chancellor Announces a Return to Coal

Essay by Eric Worrall

German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Green Party): “That’s bitter, but it’s simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage,” 

Germany to fire up coal plants as Russia turns down the gas

As Russia reduces its supply of natural gas, Economy Minister Robert Habeck has said Germany must curb its usage. Otherwise, things “could get tight in winter,” he said.

Germany must limit its use of gas for electricity production and prioritize the filling of storage facilities to compensate for a drop in supply from Russia, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Sunday.

In a move that goes against the principles of his environmentally-friendly Green Party, the country will also have to increase the burning of coal, Habeck 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.

Habeck also said more gas had to be pumped into storage facilities. “Otherwise, it will be really tight in winter,” he said. Currently gas storage facilities in Germany are around 57% full.

Habeck lamented the necessity to use more coal to produce electricity, but described the current situation as serious.

“That’s bitter, but it’s simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage,” he said. The coalition government has made it its goal to make German energy production coal-free by 2030.

Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-fire-up-coal-plants-as-russia-turns-down-the-gas/a-62182321

Habeck is very much a deep green, in April he pushed through legislation to raise Germany’s energy target to 80% renewables. He is also an opponent of nuclear energy.

Did Habeck backflip on coal to save his own skin, from a public backlash if people lose their heating this winter? Or because he puts Germany first, above his green principles? Whatever the explanation, and despite my misgivings about Habeck’s record, I see Habeck’s decision to support coal as a step forward, a small step towards a return to energy sanity. An example which other Western greens could learn by.

4.9 26 votes
Article Rating

Discover more from Watts Up With That?

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

100 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
griff
June 20, 2022 9:09 am

a temporary return to coal.

after all, as Germany is planning to do away with gas and coal entirely, all they have to do is keep on with the renewables roll out…

Dennis
Reply to  griff
June 20, 2022 9:30 am

I understand that the sailing ship captain who explained to the crew while the ship was becalmed a long way from anywhere not to worry as renewable energy must arrive sometime recommended steam power to the ship’s owners.

Extra sails was not an option.

ResourceGuy
Reply to  griff
June 20, 2022 9:31 am

When does the German export model fail in the process?

Dave Andrews
Reply to  griff
June 20, 2022 9:34 am

Wind Europe press release 14th June 2022

” In the first quarter of 2022 all five European wind turbine manufacturers were operating at a loss”

Tom Abbott
Reply to  Dave Andrews
June 21, 2022 4:12 am

That’s about right.

The Public is also operating at a loss because of these stupid energy policies.

Windmills = Lose, lose.

MarkW
Reply to  griff
June 20, 2022 9:43 am

And when the wind isn’t blowing at night, during the winter, just get the morgues ready to handle all the dead Germans. After all, there are too many people on the planet.

Reply to  griff
June 20, 2022 10:09 am

Only in Griff’s imagination does the wind blow 24h a day, and the Sun never sets.

Reply to  Graemethecat
June 20, 2022 12:17 pm

The production of electricity by wind in Germany for the year so far.

The huge variability of wind is clear for all to see.

wind generation Germany 2022.png
Bryan A
Reply to  Climate believer
June 20, 2022 7:27 pm

AYUP 100% reliably unreliable

Reply to  griff
June 20, 2022 10:43 am

I think pretty much everyone expected this response from you, Griff

ain’t gonna happen, mate, even the EU are waking up to just how foolish a plan this is

Tom Abbott
Reply to  griff
June 21, 2022 4:10 am

“a temporary return to coal.”

This is called “whistling past the graveyard”.

June 20, 2022 9:13 am

“But, But…global catastrophe ! We are all gonna die! Think of the children…!”

“Oh – meh. It might get a bit cold – crank up those furnaces…”

Olen
June 20, 2022 11:03 am

Remember when the EU said you have no enemies?

Bob
June 20, 2022 11:59 am

If I had only one wish it would be to force these green devils to live by their own words. No gasoline, no fossil fuel energy, no nuclear energy, no products grown with fertilizer, no fossil fuel transport, no consuming products transported by fossil fuels, no products made from fossil fuel by products, no products made using fossil fuel energy. They are fools and they deserve to perish in the cold freezing or miserably hot dark. I don’t like them.

RevJay4
June 20, 2022 11:59 am

LMAO. Imagine that. Soar and wind cannot handle the energy needs of any season. Greenies are gonna be upset that they still have to use energy which makes sense cuz it works.

June 20, 2022 1:10 pm

Changing with a gun pointed at you isn’t change

Paul Redfern
June 20, 2022 8:39 pm

Why is nobody talking about Ultra-Supercritical Coal power plants that are much more efficient and less polluting? They use supercritical steam and pulverized coal.