威力彩玩法

Spiegel Online

鈥淰attenfall connects coal-fired power plant Moorburg to the grid鈥�

After trial runs lasting over a year, the controversial coal-fired Moorburg听power plant in Hamburg has begun commercial operation, according to a report on Spiegel Online. With a capacity of 827 megawatts, the first block of the power station operated by public Swedish utility Vattenfall went online over the weekend. A second block is slated to follow in the summer. According to the article, Friends of the Earth Germany called the the plant's activation 鈥渁 black day for climate protection,鈥� because it is set to emit 8 to 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Vattenfall said Moorburg was one of Europe鈥檚 most efficient and environmentally friendly coal-fired power plants, saving 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually compared to older installations, according to the report.

See the article in German . 听听

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Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung

鈥淣o taxes for insulation madness鈥�

In an opinion piece for听the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung,听Georg Meck celebrates a set-back for a planned tax break for building insulation. 鈥淲ithout a doubt, saving energy makes sense. Proper heating, good windows and an insulated roof are never a mistake 鈥� but why should that concern taxpayers?鈥� asks Meck. 鈥淚nsulating is not especially ecological, and economically, it鈥檚 a joke (鈥�) Every defeat of the insulation industry is a victory for reason,鈥� writes Meck.

Read the article in German.

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Die Welt

鈥淓cological heating systems are slow sellers鈥�

The modernisation of heating systems, crucial to the success of the Energiewende, has lost pace, Die Welt reports. Total sales of heat generators in Germany fell 4 percent last year, the first decline in five years, according to an annual report by the Association of Heating Industry (BDH) cited by the newspaper. Heating systems incorporating renewable energy sources registered a particularly steep fall. 鈥淭he federal government will definitely not achieve its goal of increasing the share of renewable heat sources to 14 percent by 2020 in this way,鈥� BDH head Andreas L眉cke is quoted as saying. Currently, this share is only 9.1 percent, according to L眉cke.

Find the article in German e.

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S眉ddeutsche Zeitung

鈥淒elayed and concealed鈥�

In an opinion piece听for the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung,听Markus Balser says the German government risks breaking promises it has made regarding the Energiewende, after it postponed an urgently needed decision on building new electricity superhighways until the summer. 鈥淭he Energiewende enters its critical phase and turns into a balancing act for the grand coalition. Politicians need to defend what they initiated," Balser writes.听But he says that few politicians "dare to utter uncomfortable truths," such as the need for sacrifice on the part of those living close to new power lines or wind parks.

See 威力彩玩法's Dossier on the grid extension here.

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RWE

鈥淪ale of Dea: LetterOne and RWE complete transaction鈥�

RWE has closed the sale of its subsidiary RWE Dea to the Russian-controlled LetterOne Group for 5.1 billion euros. RWE CEO Peter Terium said in a press release 鈥淒ea gets a new owner who wants to invest long term in the oil and gas production business鈥� and that 鈥淩WE can now focus fully on its core business.鈥�

RWE Dea owns British assets including the Breagh North Sea natural gas field. The New York Times previously reported that the UK had objected to the deal, concerned that these assets could be shut down if LetterOne became the target of increased sanctions against Russia.

See the RWE press release in English .

See the New York Times article in English .

See 威力彩玩法鈥檚 Dossier on the German utilities here.

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听S眉ddeutsche Zeitung

鈥淕enuflection in Stockholm鈥�

Two east German states which are home to Vattenfall's听extensive lignite mining operations are fighting to keep the mines open, according to a report in the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. The state premiers of Brandenburg and Saxony, Dietmar Woidke and Stanislaw Tillich, wrote a letter to parliamentarians in Stockholm urging support for mining extensions and continued investments by Vattenfall, which is owned by the Swedish state, even though the company plans to sell its German lignite operations, the article says. The Green Party in Brandenburg鈥檚 regional parliament called the move 鈥渁 genuflection in front of dirty brown coal.鈥�