Read this article in:
26 February, 2007
ICEM affiliate IGBCE reminded Germany’s coalition government last week that the recent energy summit agreement promised that brown coal will remain the most important product in the country’s power generation for the foreseeable future. That promise, however, is threatened by the procedural process inside Germany of Phase II of the European Union’s allocation plan for carbon emissions trading.
In order to preserve the future coal mining industry in Germany without state subsidies, stated IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt, the union is advocating more efficient and economical power generation facilities in order to reduce carbon emissions, and to provide safe and reliable energy sources to customers.
IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt
The prerequisite for that, stated Schmoldt, “is sufficient planning and investment now that will ensure coal-driven power stations for the next generation are efficient and economical.”
He added that this is now threatened by the revised plans of the Ministry of Environment to meet the EU’s carbon emissions plan for the years 2008-2012. The ministry is proposing even stricter regulations that will not only endanger the brown coal industry, but power generation stations themselves.
“Irrespective of the ongoing political disputes on the energy policy, what is at stake now is maintaining Germany as an energy producing country,” stated Schmoldt.