Is Germany nearing a blackout?

21.05.2012

Germany’s national grid agency has warned that the country’s power grid faces collapse if old coal power plants are closed down as part of its drive to clean up its energy supply.

Six old nuclear plants were shut down in Germany last year, and it had been planned that additional old coal power plants would also be closed in the near future due to their high environmental impact and their breach of current laws placed on emissions.

However, in a new report, the Federal Network Agency has warned that these power stations must remain in operation, as their closure could cause the country’s power grid to collapse, which would result in a blackout.

"Closures of more conventional power plants are currently not feasible in Germany," it says.

Gateway Energy's Managing Director, Andrew Kneeshaw, comments:

"We have a similar, but probably less critical problem in the UK. An energy gap is likely to appear as we approach 2020, with nuclear and some old coal plant coming out of service. Despite the expansion of renewables, the system will still be strained, so we should expect some premiums on peak energy use and the requirement to help pay for some quick-fix gas power stations."