The French government has announced that it will restart the coal-fired plant this winter in response to warnings from the chiefs of three power firms.
The government of France plans to reactivate a coal-fueled power plant in the country’s northeast this winter, partly as a result of continued conflicts with Russia and partly to better address energy instability.
The heads of France’s three largest energy companies recently issued a warning urging the public to “immediately” reduce their energy consumption in order to help authorities better manage energy insecurity. Shortly after that warning, it was announced that the Saint-Avold would be brought back online.
Officials have reportedly stated that the coal-fired plant is being restarted “as a precaution, considering the Ukrainian situation,” according to broadcaster RTL.
Le Figaro claims that the government has required an environmentally neutral reopening for the facility and that officials have stated that they will include so-called “environmental compensation” as part of the plan to reactivate the plant.
In order to satisfy this green demand, the plant’s operator will take steps like replanting as part of the reopening.
Soon after the heads of France’s three largest energy providers, Engie, EDF, and TotalEnergies, issued a warning urging citizens to immediately begin energy conservation in order to safeguard the nation’s energy situation, the authorities announced that they would reopen the facility.
“Acting this summer will allow us to be better prepared to tackle next winter and in particular to preserve our gas reserves,” the power tsars wrote. “We, therefore, call for awareness and collective and individual activities so that each of us – each consumer, each company – changes their behaviour and immediately limits their consumption of energy, electricity, gas and petroleum products.”
Germany, a nation known for its environmental obsession, has also declared that it will increase its coal-burning capacity in order to better address the country’s ongoing energy crisis. Robert Habeck, the nation’s economic and climate Tsar, claimed that the measures are required to conserve much-needed gas.
“To reduce gas consumption, less gas must be used to generate electricity. Coal-fired power plants will have to be used more instead,” he said though he did concede that he found it “bitter” that his government’s green agenda-driven policy required it.
The official, however, is adamant that the final three nuclear power reactors in Germany, which are scheduled to shut down by the end of the year, will not be used as a buffer energy supply problem, despite calls from all sides for Germany to keep them online.
The situation is so dire that even EU officials, who are obsessed with climate change, are now pleading with Germany to continue utilising the plants.