Germany May Need to Keep Reserve Coal Plants Longer Than Planned
(Bloomberg) -- Germany may need to keep its fleet of mothballed coal-fired stations available for longer than expected as a drive to build new gas plants is severely behind schedule, grid operator Amprion GmbH warned.
After Europe’s biggest economy shut its last nuclear plant in 2023, its power generation margin has shrunk. The coal plants are there to help keep the lights on if needed and can be started up on short notice.
But if there are no alternatives, they will need to be available well into the next decade, Christoph Mueller, Amprion chief executive officer said on the sidelines of the Handelsblatt Energy Summit in Berlin.
“Some of these plants currently only have an operating perspective until 2026, the vast majority until 2031,” Mueller said. “We should do a proper analysis now in case we need these power plants for longer.”
Germany’s energy regulator said two years ago that as much as 21 gigawatts of new gas plants would be needed to meet a proposed target to exit coal by the end of this decade. But a plan to build a fraction of that was last month scrapped by the government.
It currently costs more than €1 billion ($1.04 billion) a year to keep the reserve fleet ready, according to Amprion. Coal operator Steag GmbH has already complained that it’s unprofitable to have power stations on standby.
“But if we only tell the operators in 2030 that they will be needed until 2035, it will definitely be more expensive, if longer operation is still possible at all.”
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
KEEPING THE ENERGY INDUSTRY CONNECTED
Subscribe to our newsletter and get the best of Energy Connects directly to your inbox each week.
By subscribing, you agree to the processing of your personal data by dmg events as described in the Privacy Policy.
More utilities news

Thames Water Rescue Bidder Doubts Sale Process Feasibility

Edison Probing Retired Power Line as Possible Start of LA Eaton Fire

UK to Eases Rules for Nuclear Plants in Bid to Boost Growth

Borouge reports exceptional FY2024 net profit of $1.24 billion, a jump of 24% YOY

China Tariffs on US Oil Come as Exports Have Sunk From Peak

Zelenskiy Urges Parliament to Back Additional Nuclear Reactors

TA’ZIZ awards $1.7b contract to Samsung E&A to build UAE’s first methanol plant

Trump Raised Millions From Crypto Firms for His Inauguration

Hensoldt Offers to Take Over Continental, Bosch Workers
