As a winter approaches, which will be marked by a gas shortage, the German government has decided to delay the shutdown of its lignite (a type of coal) power plants for an additional season.
The German government says the reopening of coal plants is a temporary measure and that the country is still on track to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. In 2023, almost 60% of the energy produced in Germany would come from renewable sources. But coal, especially lignite, is still used.
“Germany is on the right track when it comes to providing energy from renewable sources. I am sure that these lignite plants will be closed and deactivated forever in March. Any other approach would not be reasonable and even legally, it could not be approved” says Karsten Smid, energy expert Greenpeace Germany.
But the exploitation of lignite poses problems. Rene Schuster, Grüne Liga environmental expert, explains: “here in the region we have big water problems because of mining. The mines extract water from the ground, which causes problems for hundreds of years. When the water comes back, it is chemically modified. The balance is destabilized.”
To reopen the lignite mines, thousands of people were displaced. Among them, the 300 inhabitants of Horno, a small village in eastern Germany.
“Imagine a moving truck packs everything up and leaves. A few days later, when you come back, all that’s left of your house is ruins. Everything is destroyed. All that’s left is ashes.” says Bernd Siegert, former mayor of Horno.
The government says these plants will be closed by March 31, 2024. In the meantime, elected officials will find solutions to compensate for the increase in carbon dioxide generated by these power plants. It remains to be seen whether they will reopen next winter.
