Germany closes seven coal-fired power plants after winter ends
March 31, 2024
Seven coal-fired power plants in Germany were closed over Easter, power generators RWE and LEAG said on Sunday.
The government removed facilities from mothballs to address winter gas supply shortages as Europe’s largest economy sought to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
Two more were allowed to continue operating beyond their scheduled shutdown dates.
Which plants have been taken offline?
The closed coal plants were located in the Rhine mining district of West Germany, near the city of Cologne, and in Brandenberg in eastern Germany.
The closures had been planned for some time, but were postponed due to the energy crisis that unfolded after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Germany and other European countries reduced their dependence on Russian gas in the months following the war, which helped drive up energy prices.
The German government has decided to extend the useful life of some coal plants and restart other closed plants.
Berlin also delayed the closure of several nuclear power plants as a contingency measure.
This breaking news will be updated soon.
Source: DW
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