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IEA chief warns Europe to prepare for a complete shutdown of Russian gas exports
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that Europe must immediately prepare for the complete loss of Russian gas exports. In addition, the agency calls on governments to take measures to reduce demand. In addition, the IEA chief strongly recommends keeping ageing nuclear power plants in operation. Fatih Birol is the head of the IEA and…
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Gas-fired power plants produce record amounts of electricity
Although Russia has throttled gas supplies to Germany, German gas-fired power plants generated 4000 GWh of electricity in May. This is a new record for the month of May. In parallel, Robert Habeck calls on German citizens to save energy. Citizens should lower the temperature in their living rooms and shower less in order to…
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Insurance companies do not pay for damage in the event of a blackout or gas stoppage
With Germany’s energy policy, the country is increasingly heading for a supply crisis in both electricity and gas. The likelihood of power and gas supply failures is increasing day by day. A corresponding supply failure can lead to major damage in industry. Entire production plants, such as those in the glass industry, are at risk…
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Owners of a PV system should consume less electricity themselves
Households with their own PV system have a higher average electricity consumption than comparable households without a solar system. This is the result of the EE-Rebound project commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The additional consumption of electricity would result from the fact that there would be little financial incentive to save…
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Not enough lithium for electric cars
The coalition government has set a political goal of having at least 15 million electric cars registered in Germany by 2030. However, this could soon be doomed to failure, because according to the latest calculations by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, there will not be enough lithium available for the batteries. Raw…
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Ukraine wants to supply nuclear power to Germany
With the turn away from Russian energy sources, the energy emergency in Germany is meanwhile getting worse. In the case of gas supply, the Minister of Economics has already declared an emergency alert. Therefore, gas-fired power plants are to be taken off the grid in order to save resources. Now the Ukrainian Energy Minister Galushenko…
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TÜV contradicts Habeck on lifetime extension
A new report by TÜV Süd refutes Habeck’s statements on extending the operating lives of two nuclear power plants in Bavaria. In this report, TÜV confirms that the Isar 2 nuclear power plant can be operated well beyond the end of the year. Even the short-term recommissioning of Block C in Gundremmingen, which has already…
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Energy transition into a dead end – nuclear energy
The discussion about extending the lifetimes of the last remaining German nuclear power plants is just picking up speed again in view of the current energy crisis. While the CDU and FDP want to at least discuss an extension, the Greens and SPD immediately reject the further use of nuclear energy. A look at the…
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Why less gas is coming via Nord Stream 1
For several days now, only 40 percent of the usual gas supply has been coming through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The supply situation is now so threatening that Minister of Economics Habeck has declared the alarm level of the gas emergency plan. Habeck also immediately names the reasons for the reduced deliveries. For example,…
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Traffic lights stick to ban on fracking
In 2017, the Bundestag and Bundesrat passed what is probably the world’s strictest law on fracking for natural gas. It regulates the complete ban on commercial fracking, with the aim of protecting the environment and health from the risks of this technology. Germany is sitting on about 2.3 trillion cubic metres of natural gas in…
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China buys large quantities of uranium on the world market
The situation on the global energy markets is becoming increasingly difficult due to Russia’s boycott. Many countries are therefore building new nuclear power plants in order to reduce CO₂ emissions and to secure the electricity supply. This means that the demand for uranium to produce the fuel elements will rise sharply in the future. Uranium…
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Why saving Schwedt is not just about oil
The rescue of the PCK refinery in Schwedt, Brandenburg, which has been hotly debated in recent days, is becoming a federal political issue. Since the German government and the European Union want to do without Russian oil in the future, the refinery is facing extinction. Up to 2,000 employees would be affected. The rescue is…
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Habeck declares gas emergency plan alert level
Robert Habeck has declared the second stage of the emergency decree on gas supply with the alert stage. As a result, gas prices are likely to rise even further for consumers. Apparently, the 55 members of the board of the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industries have already been informed of this step.…
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Lindner wants to abolish premium for electric cars
Christian Lindner has spoken out in favour of scrapping the will-to-buy subsidies for electric cars. He told the Welt am Sonntag: “We simply can’t afford misguided subsidies any more. If I have my way, the premium for electric cars and plug-in hybrids, for example, will be cancelled. Up to now, these cars have been subsidised…
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Energy transition to a dead end – gas and LNG
The biggest problem with renewable energies is their volatility. Wind is only available for 25 % of the year’s full load hours, and solar only for about 10 % of the year. For this reason, the coalition agreement logically envisaged a massive expansion of gas-fired power plants. However, the approximately 60 new gas-fired power plants…