Habeck believes that Germany's energy supplies remain secure and that Germany is more independent in this area than before the war in Ukraine. “Several coal-fired power plants that have remained on the grid as a precaution over the past two years are now redundant and can be disconnected from the grid for good,” he told dpa on Monday.
Further operation of the plant “is neither necessary nor economical”
Electricity and gas prices have fallen significantly, and the rise of renewable energy sources means that “most electricity now comes from clean, climate-friendly sources,” Habeck said.
The plant's closure was planned earlier. However, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Germany had to become independent from Russian gas, so the federal government maintained several coal-fired power plant units longer than planned and withdrew others from reserves to use them to produce electricity and save natural gas, the daily's website reminds on Tuesday “Welt”.
According to the Ministry of Economy, due to the significant expansion of renewable energy sources and the stabilization of the gas supply situation, further operation of the power plant “is neither necessary nor economic.”
According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than half of the electricity generated in Germany in 2023 came from renewable energy sources. Wind energy has replaced coal as the most important source. 31 percent of electricity last year was generated using wind energy. Coal remained the second most important source of electricity generation, but its share dropped by almost a third – to 26.1 percent compared to 2022.
From Berlin Berenika Lemańczyk
