Germany may continue to run some coal plants

According to The Express Tribune, Germany has delayed an interim report on the consequences of ending lignite power output in North Rhine-Westphalia, its largest state. The review was pushed to August 15 so that officials could first assess this year's tender results for gas-fired power plants. That delay has led markets to expect the government might keep some lignite units running longer than originally planned.

The 2022 pact with RWE sets March 2030 as the end of lignite-fired output in that state, eight years earlier than the national coal exit target. A review due by 2026 could allow some RWE plants, with 3.6 gigawatts of capacity, to stay on standby until 2033 if supply security is judged at risk. RWE chief executive Markus Krebber said the 2030 date was unchanged and that officials had not approached the company about an extension.

Although the country's installed capacity totals 266 GW, close to two-thirds of it comes from solar and wind installations that cannot ensure supply at all hours. That gap has fuelled debate over whether there is enough baseload capacity, and the far-right AfD, currently the top party in national polls, wants the coal and nuclear exits reversed to prevent blackouts.