Utilities evade fuel rod tax - media / Hydrogen train for Germany
S眉ddeutsche Zeitung
Large utilities operating nuclear power plants are trying to exchange as few fuel rods as possible this year to circumvent the fuel rod tax that runs out at the end of 2016, writes Michael Bauchm眉ller in S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. 鈥淭o save money, the energy companies in Germany delay substituting fuel elements until the turn of the year,鈥� writes Bauchm眉ller. The nuclear fuel rod tax charges the use of nuclear fuels for power production. NGOs have called for the extension of the tax beyond 2016, but nuclear power plant operators argue that this would render the plants unprofitable, according to Bauchm眉ller.
Read the article in German .
Also read 威力彩玩法's background dossier The challenges of Germany鈥檚 nuclear phase-out.
Die Welt / BMVI
The world鈥檚 first long-distance, hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell-propelled train in batch production will be in operation on German tracks by 2017, writes Nikolaus Doll in Die Welt. French rail transport company Alstom today presents its 鈥楥orodia iLint鈥� model that was developed and manufactured in Germany and is slated to run on a northern German route from December 2017 on. The hydrogen stored in a tank on the train鈥檚 rooftop allows for 600-800 kilometres (km) of travel at a maximum speed of 140 km/h. The Federal transport ministry (BMVI) supported the project with 8 million euros, the ministry writes in a separate press release,
Read the article in German and the BMVI press release in German .听
For background read the 威力彩玩法 dossier The energy transition and Germany鈥檚 transport sector.
The Carbon Brief
The Carbon brief published an interactive map on power generating capacity in Germany as well as a series of charts that show how the coal problem reveals the challenge of decarbonising heat, transport and industry in the country. The map and an accompanying article are available both in English and German.
Find the map and article in English and in German .
For more information on the country's power mix read the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Germany鈥檚 energy consumption and power mix in charts.
Handelsblatt
Petrol stations have to 鈥渞adically change鈥� to cope with the transition to a more efficient and possibly largely electric transport system, write Franz Hubik and Regine Palm in Handelsblatt. Petrol stations could become mobility stations offering cars, bicycles and other modes of transport to share, rent, exchange or clean, Thomas Schlick, mobility expert at Roland Berger, told the newspaper. The biggest threat could be autonomous driving, 鈥渂ecause if the people don鈥檛 have to be there physically anymore, the best offers around the petrol pump are of little benefit 鈥� nobody will use them,鈥� write Hubik and Palm.
Read the article in German .
German Wind Energy Association
Due to objections by Germany's National Meteorological Service (DWD), 219 wind power turbines with a total capacity of 649 megawatts could not be built in 2015 because of the risk of interference with the weather service鈥檚 data collection, says the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) in a press release. The deciding question in many relevant court cases was whether the DWD could reasonably be expected to subtract the wind turbine locations in their calculations and fill the gaps through interpolation, says BWE.
Read the press release in German .
Dual Citizen LLC
While Germany is perceived by experts to be the world鈥檚 top green economy performer, the country comes in fifth for its actual performance, according to development and green growth communications consultancy . The consultancy鈥檚 5th Global Green Economy Index compares how countries perform in the global green economy with how experts rank this performance. 鈥淎s a developed economy, Germany鈥檚 next challenge is to translate this strong foundation to consistent declines year-over-year in the carbon intensity of its economy, an outcome that has not yet been observed there,鈥� says the report.
Find the report in English .
