Energy group: RWE prefers lignite phase-out to 2030

Status: 04.10.2022 10:32 a.m

The energy company RWE wants to end lignite-fired power generation eight years earlier than planned, as early as 2030. This left around 280 million tons of coal in the ground. RWE wants to invest massively in renewable energies.

The energy company RWE wants to bring the phase-out of coal forward by eight years to 2030. This provides for an agreement on key points between RWE, the Federal Ministry of Economics and the NRW Ministry of Economics.

280 million tons less CO2

The decision left around 280 million tons of coal in the ground. This then corresponds to a quantity of around 280 million tons of the climate gas CO2, which would no longer be emitted. RWE also wants to invest massively in renewable energies in order to make a further contribution to the phase-out of coal.

RWE intends to invest more than 50 billion euros worldwide by 2030 to accelerate the energy transition. 15 billion euros are planned for Germany, the group said.

Downsizing is accelerated

With the exit from coal, the downsizing will “accelerate significantly” towards the end of the decade, the company explained. RWE assured that the exit would be “socially acceptable”.

Germany wants to phase out coal by 2038 at the latest. The first lignite-fired power plants were shut down as early as 2020.

Security of supply important

However, security of supply is currently the order of the day, RWE explained. The two lignite-fired power plant blocks Neurath D and E in North Rhine-Westphalia, which should go offline at the end of the year, should therefore continue to run until the end of March 2024.

This should strengthen the security of supply and save natural gas in the electricity market, as announced by the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs. Despite the associated increased demand for lignite in the next 15 months, further resettlements for lignite mining can be ruled out, it said.

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