Sunday 19 June 2022 10:28 PM Berlin fires up coal to cut reliance on Russian gas in wake of Ukraine invasion trends now
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Germany is to burn more coal as it seeks to limit its use of Russian gas.
Economy minister Robert Habeck admitted it meant his country would be raising usage of a highly polluting fossil fuel to ensure its energy security.
‘That’s bitter, but it’s simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage,’ he insisted.
Russian gas company Gazprom announced last week that it was cutting supplies through the crucial Nord Stream 1 pipeline for technical reasons.
Germany is set to burn more coal - a highly polluting fossil fuel - as it seeks to limit its use of Russian gas. The move is expected to increase the country's energy security (STOCK)
Mr Habeck said he believed the move was politically motivated.
Last month the EU agreed to halt most Russian oil imports but an embargo on its gas is a long way off. Russia supplies about 27 per cent of the union’s imported oil and 40 per cent of its natural gas.
Member states have been reluctant to rapidly reduce their reliance on Russian natural gas because it will drive up prices for European consumers.
Brussels has, however, set a target to wean itself off Russian energy completely by 2030 and Germany has halted the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project with Moscow.
The UK gets less than 4 per cent of its gas from Russia and
