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Second year in a row decline in wind power production – despite increased expansion
Germany is experiencing its second consecutive decline in wind power generation, despite continued increases in installed capacity. At the end of 2023, approximately 68.9 GW of installed capacity was available, generating around 142 TWh. By the end of 2024, capacity had climbed to approximately 72.4 GW, but production fell to around 138 TWh. At the…
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The electric bus disaster – remote access, winter failures and fire risks in real-world operation
Electric bus fleets are considered key to the transportation revolution, but everyday reality paints a different picture. Operators struggle with reduced range, software problems, and long downtimes. At the same time, safety risks are increasing because modern vehicles are constantly networked, and there are suspicions that Chinese manufacturers have remote access to their systems. There…
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EU emissions trading as a brake on competition – why certificates weaken Europe’s industry
A shift in policy is emerging in Brussels because emissions trading, with its certificate costs, is increasingly squeezing industry dry. However, this change of thinking is coming far too late. The EU has been tightening the screws for years, while many countries outside Europe do not bear comparable burdens. This has put the competitiveness of…
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Small wind turbines – why physics often delivers sobering results
Small wind turbines are considered a complement to photovoltaics because wind can also generate electricity in winter and at night. Many projects start with this expectation, yet the actual yield often remains low. The reason is usually the physics and wind conditions at the site, not regulations or theoretical figures. (ingenieur: 09.02.26) Small wind turbines…
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Electric car subsidy ineffective – car dealers see no sales and fear a collapse in residual values
Car dealers have not yet registered a noticeable boost in sales due to the new electric car subsidy, and many buyers remain hesitant, as they expect clear rules and a reliable start. At the same time, there is growing concern that the subsidy will severely impact the used car market through further declines in residual…
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Reiche is changing the feed-in guarantee: Wind and solar projects should share the grid risk
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has received a draft amendment to the Energy Industry Act that aims to more closely link the expansion of wind and solar power to grid expansion. Regions would be considered capacity-limited if they regularly generate more renewable electricity than the distribution network can handle. Reiche’s goal is not a blanket…
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Merz begs for LNG in the Gulf – the government’s double standards when it comes to gas
Germany has enshrined its commitment to phasing out fossil gas in its political platform, yet Chancellor Friedrich Merz is courting LNG supply agreements in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. This is precisely where the double standard lies, because while Russian gas was excluded using moral arguments, energy cooperation with authoritarian Gulf states…
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RWE halts offshore wind power project in France
RWE is completely abandoning its offshore wind power project in France. This move comes shortly after EnBW’s loss-making withdrawal from British offshore projects, which triggered a €1.2 billion write-down. This once again highlights how quickly offshore wind energy calculations can change when returns, subsidies, and policy remain unstable. (faz: 04.02.26) RWE withdraws from French offshore…
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After several fires and 100,000 replaced storage units – EnBW wants to separate from Senec
EnBW’s battery storage subsidiary Senec is once again under scrutiny due to fires and explosions involving Senec home storage systems in recent years. As a result, Senec replaced approximately 100,000 storage units for customers, according to the company, incurring costs in the “hundreds of millions.” EnBW is now examining several options, including continuation of the…
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LNG terminal on Rügen shut down – ice cover blocks access for LNG tankers
Due to excessively thick ice, no LNG tankers can currently call at the terminal off Rügen. The Prorer Wiek bay and the port of Mukran are completely frozen over. This makes the shipping channel unsafe to navigate. Without safe passage, there can be no arrivals and no regular shipping operations at the terminal. (nordkurier: 06.02.26)…
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Small and medium-sized businesses attack Chancellor Merz – “sheer horror” at economic policy
Christoph Ahlhaus, chairman of the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and a member of the CDU, has written a strongly worded letter to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The letter expresses his “utter dismay” at the state of Germany’s economy. Ahlhaus is thus making it publicly clear that small and medium-sized businesses consider Merz’s economic…
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ZF immediately halts sales of e-bike drive system – Centrix system loses key customers
ZF is pulling the plug on its e-bike business. The company is suspending sales of its drive systems with immediate effect after losing a major customer, Raymon. This drive system was intended to open up a new business area for ZF. The company aimed to become less dependent on the volatile automotive sector and gain…
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ACC halts Gigafactory in Kaiserslautern – Battery joint venture finally pulls the plug
Battery manufacturer ACC, a joint venture between automotive and energy companies Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies, has definitively abandoned its plans for a gigafactory in Kaiserslautern. At the same time, the consortium is also canceling the battery factory in Termoli, Italy. This effectively ends a project in Kaiserslautern that was intended to provide a boost to…
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District heating suppliers plan to eliminate subsidies for heat pumps in their service areas.
Cities and municipal utilities are planning multi-billion-euro projects for new district heating networks, investing long-term in pipelines, transfer stations, and generation capacity. At the same time, operators are increasingly concerned that they will lose customers. Many property owners might opt for their own heat pumps even before the pipelines are completed, because the subsidies are…
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Stellantis abandons its electric car strategy – €22 billion write-down
Stellantis is restructuring its powertrain strategy, and the €22 billion write-down marks the price of this change. CEO Antonio Filosa wants to offer fewer pure electric vehicles and more hybrids because, according to the company, it needs to reconnect with its customers. Filosa says that under his predecessor, the “pace of the energy transition was…