Germany confirms temporary reprieve for coal power

Cabinet adopts regulation allowing increased use of coal- and oil-fired generation as Russian gas crisis deepens

The German government has adopted new regulations allowing idled oil- and coal-fired power plants to temporarily restart in a move designed to curb natural gas use amid the deepening energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Under the regulations, oil and coal plants that have been taken off the grid and placed in reserve will be allowed to re-enter the wider power market. Coal-fired plants which had been earmarked for closure this year as part of the government’s phase-out scheme will instead be kept on standby and called on if necessary. The regulations expire in April 2023, and Germany insists its strategy to phase out coal by 2030 is intact. “If gas becomes scarce, e