News

Germany is reporting record wind and solar output, but the overall impact on the system remains small – and this is precisely where the reckoning with the reality of the energy transition begins. “A lot built, little delivered” describes the situation better than any celebratory announcement, because expansion alone doesn’t solve the supply problem. At […]

Forklift manufacturer Jungheinrich is closing a German plant and cutting hundreds of jobs. This is due to a massive price attack by Asian suppliers on the global market. However, the closure affects a production facility considered profitable. (bild: 14.02.26) Plant closure by March 2027: Lüneburg loses manufacturing, only some jobs remain Production at the Lüneburg

The battery storage boom is reaching a new level of escalation, as grid operators are currently rejecting massive numbers of grid connection applications. TenneT and other transmission system operators are removing hundreds of projects from the process. The number of submitted proposals significantly exceeds the actual usable grid capacity, which is why the operators are

In the Allianz Trade study, a company is considered a large corporation once it reaches at least €50 million in annual revenue. In 2025, Germany reached a record high for these large-scale insolvencies, with 94 companies going bankrupt. Hospitals, the automotive industry, and construction were particularly affected. This represents an increase of eight percent compared

A representative survey conducted by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research on behalf of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt reveals less support for climate protection and the energy transition. Many households are experiencing a decline in their standard of living due to sharp price increases, while at the same time, fears about job security

Robert Habeck sold the green transformation as an engine for economic growth and portrayed new industries as a surefire job creator. His followers celebrated him as a green messiah, even though much of it only seemed viable thanks to subsidies and special regulations. Today, little substance remains of that initial vision of progress, as one

The icebreaker “Neuwerk” was moved from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea to clear a channel to the frozen LNG terminal in the port of Mukran. Now, the “Neuwerk” has broken down due to a technical defect, causing the critical bottleneck to reappear. As a result, the LNG tanker “Minerva Amorgos” is still unable

France is changing its energy policy by decree and implementing a new legal framework. This includes lowering targets for wind and solar energy, while significantly strengthening nuclear power. At the same time, the share of decarbonized electricity in total energy consumption is to increase rapidly, thereby reducing the importance of oil and gas. Furthermore, a

The abolition of the gas storage levy was intended to provide significant relief to gas customers, but it is now proving more expensive than announced. Instead of three billion euros, more than 3.5 billion euros flowed from the federal budget because value-added tax (VAT) is also involved. The Finance Ministry confirmed the higher sum upon

Carbon dioxide is produced in many industrial processes and remains available as a raw material. At the same time, aviation, shipping, and parts of the chemical industry still require liquid energy carriers. Electricity alone often cannot cover these applications because energy density, storage, and existing infrastructure play a major role. A new study from China

Carl Zeiss Meditec is pulling the plug on its China business because access to its most important market is becoming more difficult. The company plans to relocate more production to the People’s Republic to continue selling there. CFO Justus Felix Wehmer said: “To continue participating in the large Chinese market, we need to shift more

A Düsseldorf-based company plans to restart decommissioned German nuclear power plants. Avenes Europe GmbH presents reactivation as its central project goal. This brings back to the forefront an issue that Germany had essentially resolved with the last shutdown date. The last three nuclear power plants were taken offline on April 15, 2023. (ruhrbarone: 12.02.26) The

The discussion about electromobility often seems more advanced in metropolitan areas than the market actually is. This is because rural areas, not cities, are the dominant region for private owners. The decisive factor is less enthusiasm for electric cars and more the practicalities of everyday charging – which often depends on owning a property with

On February 12, 2026, the fill level of Germany’s gas storage facilities was only 25.60 percent. This brings into focus a threshold that is often misunderstood: 20 percent is not a political figure, but a hard physical limit. Many debates revolve around “how much” gas is still available, but in an emergency, what matters is

Bielefeld has decommissioned seven hydrogen-powered garbage trucks because the hydrogen refueling station they previously used in Rheda-Wiedenbrück has closed. Each refueling trip previously required a round trip of approximately 80 kilometers. With the station’s closure, the only alternative is a significantly longer refueling journey, disrupting regular operations. The fleet cost around 7 million euros, or