Nov 12, 11:01 AM
Germany Plans Emergency Reserve Requirements for Coal and Oil Power Plants
A draft bill would obligate operators to maintain fuel stocks and operational readiness to mitigate potential gas supply shortages.
The German federal government is preparing draft legislation to mandate operators of coal- and oil-fired power plants to maintain operational readiness and store reserve fuel in case of severe gas shortages. According to a draft bill obtained by the newspaper Handelsblatt and currently being coordinated within the government, the plants would be called upon to generate electricity whenever state authorities formally declare a gas supply emergency. The measure aims to ensure that more natural gas remains available for private households and industrial consumption during periods of constrained supply.
Under the current draft provisions, operators of coal-fired power plants would be required to maintain fuel reserves sufficient for 30 days of operation at full capacity. Oil-fired power plants would be mandated to hold ten days of fuel stock under identical operational conditions. Both reserve timeframes remain subject to ongoing internal discussions within the federal government.
The planned obligations are designated to apply to power plants currently assigned to the national grid reserve, which are held to stabilize the electricity network. In addition, the draft covers coal-fired units scheduled for shutdown in 2026 and 2027 under Germany's statutory coal phase-out plan. Federal officials are still evaluating whether facilities scheduled for closure in 2028 will also fall under the mandatory reserve scheme. The draft specifies that the proposed legislation would expire on March 31, 2028.
The proposed policy mirrors emergency regulations enacted by the government coalition in 2022 following the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. During that crisis, 15 power plants with a combined capacity of approximately 5.9 gigawatts returned to active grid service. An additional five lignite-fired power blocks from the capacity reserve, providing roughly 1.8 gigawatts, were also reactivated.
Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com
