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Cargo bike manufacturer VOWAG at an end – company no longer viable for restructuring
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
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Fracking ban in Germany: Former agency head warns of self-inflicted gas shortage
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
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China’s heat pump offensive: Germany faces the next industrial collapse
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
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New milestone – Private company Helion reaches 150 million degrees in nuclear fusion
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,
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Smart meter mandate: Eon wants mandatory installation for all households and penalties for sluggish network operators.
Eon is calling for mandatory smart meters in all households. The impetus is the slow rollout in Germany, despite growing demand. At the end of September 2025, the installation rate in Germany was just under 4 percent, with nearly two million devices transmitting data, while many EU countries have already reached 80 percent or more.
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The German government is considering a guarantee for LNG from Argentina – taxpayers would be liable in case of default
Since the end of January 2026, the German government in Berlin has been examining the possibility of providing a guarantee for gas deliveries from Argentina. This was triggered by a preliminary inquiry to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The inquiry concerns an LNG project in the province of Río Negro. The
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DB Cargo is cutting almost half of all full-time positions
DB Cargo is cutting almost half of its approximately 14,000 full-time positions in Germany, with 6,200 job losses. The cuts affect operations, dispatching, and planning, as well as administration, sales, and IT. The move is triggered by restructuring pressure following an EU state aid investigation. After several restructuring attempts, the company continues to post losses,
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Online retailer Otto is cutting 460 jobs – new management is radically cutting costs
Online retailer Otto is cutting approximately 460 full-time positions, primarily at its headquarters in Hamburg, following the elimination of around 480 customer service jobs in 2025. This move is triggered by a comprehensive cost-cutting program under new CEO Petra Scharner-Wolff, aimed at significantly reducing the company’s cost base by 2027/28. The job cuts primarily affect
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German steel industry puts green transformation on hold
In Germany, major steel companies have halted or postponed key green transformation projects since 2025: ArcelorMittal has put its planned climate-neutral restructuring at its Hamburg site on hold, Salzgitter is slowing down until at least 2028/2029, and Thyssenkrupp is linking investments to a cost-cutting program. The triggers are the lack of and high cost of
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Volkswagen’s cost-cutting program until 2028 – 35,000 jobs at risk – factory closures threatened
The Volkswagen Group is pushing ahead with a company-wide cost-cutting program in Wolfsburg, aiming to reduce costs by around 20 percent by the end of 2028, following internal tightening of targets by CEO Oliver Blume and CFO Arno Antlitz. The program is driven by declining margins, high spending on e-mobility and software, and weaker business
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A fire in an electric car triggers a chain reaction, engulfing a camper van, houses, and cars
On Monday morning, a chain reaction occurred in Schwaigern near Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg after an electric car plugged into a charging station caught fire. The flames spread to a camper van containing gas cylinders, which exploded due to the heat. This damaged several other cars parked nearby, as well as an adjacent house and a
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Reinhardswald wind farm – municipalities face dismantling costs in the millions
Alarm bells are ringing in Wesertal because current estimates indicate that the reserves for dismantling the Reinhardswald wind farm may not be sufficient. The problem seems harmless until the bill comes due, when a shortfall in the hundreds of millions of euros looms. This shortfall doesn’t automatically go to the operator. Instead, it can trickle
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Baltic Sea 67cm below normal level and one third frozen
At the beginning of February, the water level of the Baltic Sea dropped unusually sharply, by 67 cm below normal. At the same time, approximately one-third of the Baltic Sea is frozen over with a remarkably thick layer of ice. Researchers describe this as a rare weather anomaly because wind and air pressure have a
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“More local patriotism” – Schneider’s appeal hits an industry in reverse
Environment Minister Carsten Schneider is calling for “a bit more local patriotism” from car manufacturers. He wants them to source more raw materials from Germany and Europe. But this demand comes at an inopportune time, as the industry is struggling with costs and sales pressure. At the same time, reforms that could make production profitable
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North Rhine-Westphalia’s finance minister switches from electric car to diesel, confirming the skepticism of electric car critics
Finance Minister Marcus Optendrenk is causing a stir in North Rhine-Westphalia by giving up his electric BMW i7 and switching back to a diesel. He cites long commutes and a tight schedule as the reasons, arguing that charging and range are not reliable enough for an electric car in a rural state. This directly contradicts