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Network operators pull the emergency brake and halt hundreds of battery storage applications
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…
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Insolvencies of large companies to reach a record high in 2025 – focus on hospitals, automotive and construction
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…
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Survey shows: Climate protection and the energy transition are losing public support
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…
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Habeck’s expensive legacy – millions in subsidies wasted
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…
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Icebreaker out of service – Murkan LNG terminal still blocked by ice
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…
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France cuts targets for wind and solar energy and accelerates the expansion of nuclear power
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…
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Gas storage levy blunder costs the federal government an extra 500 million – tax office decides
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…
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Breakthrough in synthetic fuels – China converts CO₂ using sunlight
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…
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Carl Zeiss Meditec plans to relocate production to 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…
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Avenes plans to reactivate German nuclear power plants
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…
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No garage, no electric car – why the breakthrough in cities is not happening
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…
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Gas storage levels are far more critical than current headlines suggest
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…
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Bielefeld shuts down its hydrogen-powered garbage truck fleet – nearest filling station too far away
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…
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Expert report classifies Habeck’s “wind power turbo” as unconstitutional
A legal opinion has declared Section 2 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) in its 2023 version unconstitutional because the then Minister of Economic Affairs, Habeck, effectively mandated that courts prioritize wind and solar power in cases involving fundamental rights conflicts with the “wind power turbocharger.” This is intended to replace an open, case-by-case…
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No April Fool’s joke – Ministry plans to measure fart levels in cows
No, it’s not April Fool’s Day, because the Ministry of the Environment is indeed planning a measurement program for cow methane directly in the barn. This is based on the draft of the 2026 climate protection program, which also includes a separate chapter on cattle farming. Sensors will record how much methane individual animals emit.…