Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche (CDU), confirmed her commitment to the coal phase-out in North Rhine-Westphalia by the year 2030. When questioned by the “Rheinische Post” about the feasibility of ending coal use in western Germany by 2030, Reiche insisted that the transition is firmly on track.
She stressed that ensuring stable energy supply is a prerequisite for meeting this goal. To safeguard this supply, especially in former coal-producing regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, new and flexible gas power plants are necessary. The CDU politician stated that she has successfully pushed for the establishment of these new plants following eleven years of advocacy. She noted that the tender processes are currently underway, and the number of bids received already exceeds the number of tenders that were issued. According to the Minister, if these power plants come online by 2030 or 2031 and are capable of replacing the capacity of coal facilities-which is the objective of the tender-the 2030 coal phase-out for NRW is achievable.
Regarding the necessary evaluation, Reiche explained that the previous government had not submitted the relevant report. She is now in the process of securing it. However, she cautioned that for a reliable evaluation, it is essential to wait for the outcome of this year’s tenders under the Electricity Supply Security and Capacity Act (StromVKG). She explained that these tenders are crucial to determining both supply security and the success of the coal phase-out, and the report will be published as soon as the analysis is finished.
