Debate in Saxony-Anhalt about earlier coal exit in the east

Created: 01/02/2023Updated: 01/02/2023 15:37

Armin Willingmann (SPD), Science Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, speaks during an interview with the dpa.

© Ronny Hartmann/dpa/archive image

In the Rhenish mining area, the phase-out of coal will be brought forward by eight years to 2030.

Federal Minister of Economics Habeck can also imagine that in the East.

In Saxony-Anhalt, however, the initiative is not only met with approval.

Magdeburg/Naumburg - The President of the Saxony-Anhalt District Council, Götz Ulrich (CDU), has spoken out in favor of sticking to the previously agreed lignite phase-out in 2038 in the east.

One should follow the previous plans, an earlier exit would "absolutely overwhelm us," said the district administrator of the Burgenland district of the German Press Agency.

"If you look at all these speeches about accelerating planning - nothing has actually been accelerated so far."

Economics Minister Robert Habeck, on the other hand, is pushing for an earlier phase-out of coal in the East.

An early exit to 2030 must be agreed by consensus, said the Green politician.

"I hereby promise the Prime Minister and all employees: This will not be decided par Ordre du Mufti, but it must be perceived as a good plan in a broad alliance." He has sensible arguments for the plan.

Saxony-Anhalt's Energy Minister Armin Willingmann (SPD) is open to this.

“At the moment, security of supply is clearly the priority.

And in view of the temporary price brakes imposed by the federal government, we must continue to keep an eye on the affordability of energy in the interests of companies and consumers," said the SPD politician on Monday.

But it is also a fact that the current heavy use of gas and coal for electricity generation means that the CO2 targets are well below the target.

"And this catching-up process will only succeed if, after the acute crisis, there is agreement that we can and must now get out of fossil fuels more quickly," he said.

"On the train you can then also talk about an earlier phase-out of lignite than 2038, especially since the depletion of existing areas in Saxony-Anhalt will end earlier anyway."

According to the current legal situation, the last decommissioning of power plant blocks in Germany is planned for 2038 - at the operator Leag in Lusatia.

According to the House of Economics Minister Sven Schulze (CDU), the power plant in Schkopau (Saalekreis) will run until 2034. The so-called Coal Power Generation Termination Act stipulates until when coal may be converted into electricity in the power plants.

The Bundestag and Bundesrat had recently decided that the phase-out of coal in the Rhenish mining area would be brought forward by eight years.

In North Rhine-Westphalia there was a broad social consensus for an early coal phase-out in 2030, stressed Habeck.

"Consensus does not mean that everyone participates, but that it is politically wanted and supported.

In East Germany, the skepticism is significantly greater.

And then you have to see if such an appointment is possible.”

Willingmann said on Monday that he would advise an unideological and unexcited discussion.

"We have a clear legal situation and fixed phase-out dates, both for lignite and for nuclear energy." Anyone who wants to change this should not lose sight of the economic and social costs, and also need acceptance and majorities.

"You don't get that with new demands, but with talks and sensible, sustainable energy concepts for the industrial country Germany," said the SPD politician, who will be chairman of the Energy Ministers' Conference in 2023.

Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU), on the other hand, warned against a faster exit.

"We have ensured the security of many federal states in the power supply in the past few weeks and months, above all by the fact that the base load capable coal-fired power plants in Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt were running," Haseloff told the "Welt".

In this situation, he thinks it would be devastating to question the exit date of 2038.

Any power generation capable of generating base loads should currently remain in the grid until you see how the crisis develops.

Haseloff recently called on the federal government to implement projects more quickly in the areas affected by structural change.

Planning and approval procedures must be accelerated, he said.

"The federal government is required here." dpa