June 2022

The biggest problem with renewable energies is their volatility. Wind is only available for 25 % of the year’s full load hours, and solar only for about 10 % of the year. For this reason, the coalition agreement logically envisaged a massive expansion of gas-fired power plants. However, the approximately 60 new gas-fired power plants […]

While the war between Ukraine and Russia is still in full swing, numerous countries want to become independent of Russian raw materials. Nevertheless, they want to ease the population’s worries about cold winters and increased expenses. In Germany, the federal government is working diligently on solutions, while other countries are already a few steps ahead

The traffic light coalition has only been in government for a few months and there is now a shortage of everything. Raw materials, microchips, sunflower oil, flour and labour are becoming scarce. Prices for food, energy and everything else needed to live are rising day by day to new record levels. Inflation is at 8

It almost sounds like a paradox. Australia is the world’s fifth largest gas exporter and second largest coal exporter. Despite this, the country is currently experiencing massive problems in securing its own electricity supply. It is winter in Australia and temperatures on the south-east coast have fallen to their lowest level in decades. But in

The problems with the gas supply are mounting. Due to the 60 percent cut in Russian gas supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the supply for next winter is already critical. Now, however, even less LNG is coming from the USA, as an LNG terminal there has burnt down. LNG terminal on the Gulf

In the course of the movement currently taking place away from dependence on Russian crude oil to alternatives for the purpose of energy supply, the East German federal states are demanding efficient aid from the federal government. This was demanded by the Minister Presidents after a meeting on the island of Riems near Greifswald. During

In the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, the new head of the German Federation of Trade Unions, Yasmin Fahimi, warns against dismantling industry in order to achieve climate goals. According to Fahimi, the green transformation of the economy must first and foremost create employment and not dismantle it as is now threatened. Fahimi speaks of economic suicide

With the curtailment of Russian gas supplies, the supply situation in the coming winter is becoming increasingly critical. Politicians’ calls to save energy are becoming more and more urgent. Now Economics Minister Robert Habeck even wants to force citizens and companies to save energy by law in an emergency. Habeck calls on citizens to save

According to climate researchers, fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) have a much greater impact on global warming than carbon dioxide. Partially fluorinated hydrocarbons (HFCs) account for around 90 % of F-gas emissions. Therefore, the European Commission has submitted a proposal to update the F-Gas Regulation. The aim is to further reduce emissions of these powerful greenhouse

In a committee meeting on 14 June 2022, parliamentarians in Brussels voted against the EU Commission’s proposal to include natural gas and nuclear power in the European taxonomy of climate-friendly energies in the future. At the beginning of July, this idea, which Ursula von der Leyen had introduced as EU Commission President, could finally topple.

With its sixth sanctions package, the EU has imposed a far-reaching oil embargo against Russia. For the time being, it affects imports delivered by tankers, while oil is still allowed to flow through pipelines. India now seems to benefit from the embargo against the sea route. In any case, the oil embargo has the loophole

Lignite is the only energy source worth mentioning that is available in large quantities for electricity production in Germany. With lignite, Germany’s electricity demand could be covered by at least one third, largely independently of foreign countries. However, with the phase-out of coal for the energy transition, the government has already taken many lignite-fired power

The mineral oil companies are at least not passing the tank rebate on to consumers in full. The fuel rebate is not working the way the government thought it would. That is why SPD leader Saskia Esken now wants to discuss driving bans and speed limits to punish the oil companies. Reduction of the energy

Russia has cut gas deliveries via the Nord-Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline by 40 percent. Gazprom justifies the step with repair and maintenance work for which important spare parts from the German Siemens Group are missing. This means that about 67 million cubic metres of natural gas are missing to fill the gas storage facilities