Germany to abandon coal as energy source

Until the closure of coal power plants in Germany will be spent some more time: closure agreed to take place in 2038. But the possibility of closing them earlier exists - that in 2026 the power plants could be viewed or closed in 2035.

This is why the German government was introduced to four affected bodies -- with Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg in the East of Germany and North-Westfaline Youth in the West. After six hours of talks with Chancellor Merkel, the prime ministers of these countries approved a time plan for closure.

The closure will begin this year. The older the power plant, the earlier the closure, that's the principle of the plan. On 31 December this year, the first thermal power plant in Rheinlad will be shut down. And by 2022, eight thermal power plants will be closed. The recommendation for this step has given a special commission since last year. Within January, the agreement reached is now expected to be poured into a bill. The final law is expected to be adopted by mid-year.

Lignite mines will gradually be shut down, some of which are open mines. And coal mines will be closed in parallel.

The hurdles jeopardised the plan's adoption

Agreeing to abandon coal as a source of energy is considered success, as it was in danger of not becoming. So great were the controversy in enterprises and employees.

But due to coal power plants and oil vehicles, Germany has problematic numbers in terms of the number of deaths from environmental pollution. It takes 83rd place for environmental pollution deaths, from 188 countries surveyed by the Global Alliance for Health and Pollution. Great Britain, for example. takes 98th place, The United States takes 132th place.

Germany is among the world's first countries to extract lignite. And carrying coal power plants is thought to weigh the environment daily. Above all, the extraction of lignite would no longer be worth more economically in Germany after 2038, for it would become very expensive. At the same time: some of the thermal power plants are in poor shape today. Therefore, observers say their owners can now close them with joy and receive money from the state.

Not easy to compromise is understandable. 20,000 employees will be affected by the closure of the mines. And closing the mines always has emotional components besides financial ones.

State Offers Major Rewards

Many people today still remember the closure of mines in the Ruhr area. In this area, considered the engine of the postwar German economic miracle, the last coal mine was shut down just a year ago.

In terms of financial aspect: those employed in coal areas and miners will receive compensation from the state even five years after the mining was shut down by 2043. While coal regions will receive large sums of money from federations -- 40 billion euros. These amounts will be used to gradually adapt the economy of affected areas for the period after closure.

Environmental criticism of difficult compromise

Climate protection protests have been indeed powerful in 2019 in Germany. Particularly the “Fridays movement for Futurre” drew a lot of attention, some say by overreacting and diverting other problems from attention. This fact is also reflected in the special jury's decision, which selects one year's most characteristic words in Germany. The most characteristic word of the year for 2019 was the “hysteria climate”.

Climate protests are believed to play an indirect role in public awareness to push ahead with the adoption of the time plan for closing the mines. But the decision has left not a bit unhappy.

“Fridays for Futre” with them to learn the decision said they would take major protests against it. One of the reasons for these is that the decision will be implemented with much delay in the opinion of activists.

But here some activists forget that Germany is one of the world's most industrialized states, with great hunger for energy resources. Germany has already abandoned atomic energy. Even without the final closure of atomic plants, the price of energy in Germany for kilowatt/hour is higher than in other European Union countries. If coal is abandoned immediately, energy will become more expensive, as renewable resources still cannot compensate for the vacuum.

Another reason for the announced protests by activists is the permission to operate a new coal power plant. The decision to operate the Datteln 4 thermal power plant has been blocked so far. But the central government and the banks calculated that unless the system was operational, compensation for the owner would be too high. This has caused revolt.

AfD populist: You left the miners only

Political parties in Germany, CDU/ CSU, SPD and Green support the compromise achieved. Exception makes the populist party Alternative for Germany. According to the populist model in other countries, this party also in this case criticises that the government is leaving miners in the lurch. But the facts speak another language. Not only tens of billions of euros in compensation show state care for the affected. The complaint that people in these regions are being left alone does not stand by development plans. Like that. City of Cotbus, for example. In the east end of Brandenburg, he will return to the center of health. A university clinic will also be built there. / DW