Germany will burn more coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, amid concerns about possible power shortages caused by a cut in supplies from Russia, its economy minister has said.
Robert Habeck said Germany must limit the use of gas to generate electricity, after Russian oil major Gazprom announced it would slash supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, apparently for technical reasons.The situation forces the government to burn more coal, which emits twice as much climate heating carbon dioxide as gas, for a "transitional period," said Habeck.
"That's bitter, but it's simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage," said Habeck, from the environmentalist Green party.
The government is also offering businesses incentives to limit gas use, planning to divert the spare fuel to fill up storage facilities ahead of next winter - the "top priority".
"It's obvious that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's strategy is to unsettle us by driving up the price and dividing us," Habeck said. "We won't let that happen."
Germany, like many European Union countries and the United Kingdom, had increasingly relied on imported gas in the last few decades as a cleaner - though still polluting - alternative to coal.
Many of these countries have now signalled they will burn more coal in an attempt to stem cashflow to Moscow and enhance energy security, in response to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom has extended the life of a coal plant to shore up energy security, despite last year lobbying other countries to "consign coal to history". Sky News - link - Victoria Seabrook - link - more like this (coal) - link - picture (Euractiv) - link - more like this (Germany) - link
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