Germany facing coal shortage – Bloomberg

Low river levels are jeopardizing shipments to electric power plants

Electricity producers in Germany’s Rhine region have warned that power supply may decrease amid the delays in coal deliveries to power plants due to low water levels in major rivers, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

According to the report, a number of plants that operate on coal, including those run by utilities EnBW AG and Trianel GmbH, issued notices this week warning that they are dealing with supply issues. Trianel’s Lunen station reportedly had to cut power generation over the weekend, while EnBW’s Heilbronn plant was also “affected,” though it didn’t provide further details.

A Trianel spokesman explained to the news outlet that due to the drought which brought about low water levels in key waterways, barges were forced to lower the amount of coal they carry to be able to navigate in shallow waters.

“This is the normal business these days. This situation will only change when it rains more,” he was cited as saying.

The news comes as Berlin is actively reviving shuttered coal power plants to lower natural gas consumption as the supply from Russia has significantly dropped due to EU sanctions.

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