It is uncertain how long gas will continue to flow from Russia to Germany in the usual quantities. The federal government wants to prepare the economy for various scenarios.
The Federal Ministry of Economics wants to take further precautions in the event of a collapse in Russian gas supplies.
If a gas shortage occurs or threatens, the gas consumption in power generation should be significantly reduced, as was heard on Tuesday from the Federal Ministry of Economics in Berlin.
As a kind of insurance for missing gas deliveries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs wants to set up a gas replacement reserve, which should be limited until March 31, 2024. To this end, coal-fired power plants should remain in reserve for longer, and lignite-fired power plants on standby should be ready for use more quickly if required. As long as the power plants remain in reserve, there are no additional greenhouse gas emissions. The ministry is sticking to the phase-out of coal by 2030.
The corresponding draft laws are now to be submitted to the other departments of the federal government for consultation. According to the ministry, gas contributed around 15 percent to German electricity generation last year, but the proportion is now likely to be lower.
In an emergency, the use of gas-fired power plants to generate electricity is to be subject to a penalty for a period of six months, which, according to the ministry, would make operation uneconomical.
