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Belgium executes a fundamental U-turn on nuclear power
Brussels, July 2026: The Belgian government is funding eight nuclear energy research projects with a total of nearly 11 million euros. The Council of Ministers acted on a proposal by Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet, following the government agreement’s prioritization of nuclear applications. From 41 applications, the Directorate-General for Energy selected eight projects focused on security…
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Dirmstein Wind Farm: Higher Administrative Court Rejects Opponents’ Urgent Motion
On July 24, 2026, a decision regarding the Dirmstein wind farm was announced in the Bad Dürkheim district. The Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Koblenz rejected an urgent motion filed by 13 residents from three municipalities who sought to temporarily halt the start of construction on 17 wind turbines reaching heights of up to 266.5…
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Wind lull in South Australia: Electricity price jumps to $20,300
South Australia experienced an exceptionally long period of low wind speeds from June 21 to 24, 2026. Over the four-day period, wind farms generated an average of only 124 megawatts out of a total installed capacity of 2,734 megawatts. Consequently, the wholesale price twice hit the market cap of 20,300 Australian dollars per megawatt-hour. Battery…
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Grid bottlenecks hold back China’s solar and wind power despite record expansion
Beijing, July 2026: Grid bottlenecks are slowing down China’s massive expansion of solar and wind power—the largest in the world. However, long-distance transmission lines, rigid market rules, and incentives for coal prevent operators from feeding every possible kilowatt-hour into the grid. Consequently, they are frequently forced to curtail output from their facilities, even as new…
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Power Shortage: Federal Network Agency Prepares for Production Curbs
Bonn, July 29, 2026: The Federal Network Agency has confirmed the establishment of an electricity security platform designed for prolonged supply crises. The agency has been developing the system since 2024 in collaboration with stakeholders from the electricity industry. It is intended to coordinate the response to a foreseeable electricity shortage lasting several days or…
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Rotor blade failure off Borkum: 20-meter blade endangers shipping traffic
On Friday, July 24, 2026, a rotor blade broke off an offshore wind turbine approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Borkum. The blade failure occurred between the EnBW wind farms Hohe See and He Dreiht; the cause remains unknown. The fiberglass-reinforced plastic (GRP) blade measured 20 meters in length and two meters in width. It was…
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Rapid expansion of wind power: Environmental assessments waived
Germany is accelerating the expansion of wind power in 2026 through record numbers of permits and streamlined procedures. In the first half of the year, authorities approved 1,419 turbines with a combined capacity of 9.15 gigawatts. At the same time, 423 new turbines with a capacity of 2.36 gigawatts were connected to the grid. New…
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Germany as a Pharmaceutical Hub: Lilly Halves Alzey Plant, Boehringer Cuts 900 Million
Alzey and Ingelheim – In early June 2026, Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim significantly cut their investment plans for their pharmaceutical operations in Germany. Lilly is halving the scale of its plant in Alzey, originally valued at €2.3 billion; consequently, the number of planned jobs is dropping from 1,000 to 500. At the same time,…
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Rolly Toys closes German plant: 113 employees lose their jobs
Neustadt bei Coburg is set to lose a long-established toy manufacturer on December 31, 2026. Rolly Toys is ceasing production at its Upper Franconian headquarters following a failed restructuring effort. The move was triggered by the loss of the company’s second-largest customer, high energy, material, and procurement costs, competition from China, and US tariffs. Ultimately,…
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Chancellery refuses to disclose information regarding intelligence agency warnings of the Nord Stream attack
Berlin, July 2026: The Chancellery is refusing to give a clear answer regarding a possible warning about the Nord Stream attack. AfD MP Anna Rathert asked whether foreign intelligence agencies had informed Wolfgang Schmidt—the Head of the Chancellery at the time—prior to the explosion. She also sought to know why Germany did not subsequently implement…
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Battery Storage Boom: Germany’s Large-Scale Storage Systems Do Not Solve “Dunkelflaute” Periods
In 2026, Germany is experiencing a boom in battery storage as wind and solar power generate increasingly volatile price fluctuations. Around 2.6 million stationary batteries now store approximately 31.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity. However, new systems offer an average storage duration of only 2.3 hours; consequently, while they mitigate short-term price spikes, they do not provide…
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Job cuts at Dürr: 500 jobs lost – four German sites affected
Bietigheim-Bissingen – Job cuts at Dürr are affecting around 500 employees worldwide at its subsidiary, BBS Automation. The group announced the measure on July 22, 2026. In Germany, approximately 200 jobs will be eliminated across four locations: Garching, Hallbergmoos, Sonthofen, and Freiberg am Neckar. Weak orders from the automotive industry and lower market expectations are…
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Gas price rises to nearly 63 euros – Germany’s winter could be expensive
Berlin, July 25, 2026. The European gas price has risen to nearly 63 euros per megawatt-hour. At the same time, Germany’s gas storage facilities were only 45.7 percent full. The escalation of the US-Iran war is disrupting LNG shipments from the Gulf region. Furthermore, Europe and Asia are competing more intensely for available supplies. New…
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Guideline from Hanover: AfD candidates lose their chance of election without a judge’s ruling
A commentary by our author Klaus Bastian Hanover and Lüneburg, July 29, 2026: The district election committee denied Stephan Bothe permission to run in the election for district administrator by a vote of 6 to 1. Following Martin Sichert, Justin Vogel, and Thorsten Moriße, this measure affects at least the fourth AfD candidate in Lower…
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Hydrogen train breakdowns in the Taunus – RB12 running on diesel again
In the Taunus region, the RB12 line has been operating with diesel trains again between Königstein, Kelkheim, and Frankfurt since June 21, 2026. Ongoing issues with the hydrogen trains are forcing the RMV to continue flexibly allocating available rolling stock. Following the expiration of a lease agreement, more modern diesel trains were transferred from the…