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China accelerated the expansion of its coal-fired power plant capacity in 2025, commissioning 52 large units (each with a capacity of ≥1 GW), according to the CREA/Global Energy Monitor report. This is the highest figure in ten years, during which fewer than 20 such large units were connected to the grid. The catalyst was the […]

Following the ban on Russian gas, Europe is restructuring its gas supply, but this course of action is driving Germany and the EU into renewed dependence on expensive US LNG. According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany sourced 96 percent of its LNG from the US last year. Within the European

In Germany, the gold rush mentality surrounding solar and wind farms has been over since 2025. Falling electricity prices are squeezing revenues, while interest rates and construction costs are rising. At the same time, long grid connection waiting times are slowing projects down, causing budgets and timelines to shift. Furthermore, a draft amendment to the

The Federal Network Agency has presented guidelines for reforming electricity grid fees, according to which operators of solar power plants will have to pay a fee from 2029 onwards as soon as they feed self-generated solar power into the public grid. This is triggered by the expiration of the Electricity Grid Fee Ordinance (StromNEV) at

Despite falling wholesale prices and a multi-billion euro write-down, the French energy company EDF once again posted a strong profit in 2025. The positive result is primarily due to increased electricity production from French nuclear power plants, whose exports reached record levels. At the same time, cost risks such as the British construction project Hinkley

The IG Metall union in Bavaria is facing a massive wave of job losses in the metal and electrical engineering industries. Given the weak economic situation and ongoing structural changes, the union anticipates around 30,000 job losses. This is triggered by current or announced cutbacks in numerous companies, while only a fraction of new jobs

In an interview with WELT, Mahle CEO Arnd Franz criticizes the EU’s policy on phasing out combustion engines by 2035. The reason for his criticism is a Brussels proposal that allows for flexibility regarding hybrids and range extenders, but which, in his view, lacks a clear direction. As a Stuttgart-based supplier, Mahle is at the

Stellantis is bringing back diesel engines to several models in Europe while keeping them available for others. The company says it is realigning its offerings due to strong customer demand. According to Reuters, Stellantis has quietly reactivated diesel variants in at least seven European models since the end of 2025, even though diesel sales accounted

Automotive supplier Magna is closing its plant in Rosenberg, in the Neckar-Odenwald district of Baden-Württemberg, after the search for an investor failed. On Wednesday, February 11, the company informed its workforce of the final closure of the plant, which Magna had already announced in October 2024. The plant, which manufactures transmission components for the automotive

On February 16, the Green Party presented its 10-point plan for the energy transition. The occasion was the announced grid package by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche, which aims to prioritize grid connections and limit the expansion of wind and solar energy. The plan, however, relies on even more expansion, even more grid

Offshore wind farms in the North Sea could measurably alter currents regionally and, in some cases, over large areas by 2050, particularly in the German Bight. This is shown by long-term simulations from the Helmholtz Centre Hereon, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The impetus for these simulations is a politically driven expansion scenario

In Lauen, Saxony, VOWAG GmbH has finally failed after insolvency proceedings were opened at the Chemnitz District Court (case number: 205 IN 4/26), as the insolvency administrator sees no possibility of restructuring. The business has effectively ceased operations. The trigger was the lack of an investor. Production has already stopped and the factory has been

In Germany, concerns about a natural gas shortage have been growing since the 2020s, even though, according to Professor Hans-Joachim Kümpel, the former head of the German Mineral Resources Agency, the country possesses large domestic shale gas resources. The reason for this concern is the legal ban on fracking for natural gas from shale and

The Chinese central government is steering the heat pump industry with a strategy paper entitled “Action Plan to Promote High-Quality Development in the Heat Pump Industry.” In it, China is focusing on scaling up production, higher standards, and increased research by 2030. The goal remains a competitive advantage in the international market. The German Heat

In the US state of Washington, the private company Helion has heated a plasma to 150 million degrees Celsius in its prototype “Polaris,” marking a milestone for private nuclear fusion. This temperature is well above the 100 million degree Celsius mark, considered a crucial threshold for technically viable fusion power plants. At the same time,