Criticism of lignite follow-up costs - change of course demanded
Civil society organizations are pushing for a change of course regarding the follow-up costs of lignite. They fear that taxpayers could be faced with billions in clean-up costs.
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Village of Pödelwitz enters the "Our village has a future" competition
The village of Pödelwitz enters the "Our village has a future" competition after being saved from lignite mining. Despite the challenges, the village is fighting for a future worth living.
Poland loses before EU court in dispute over Turow opencast lignite mine
Poland concedes defeat before EU court in dispute over Turow opencast lignite mine. Judge allows penalty payment to be offset against Polish claims.
Resettlement of Mühlrose for lignite mining
In Mühlrose, the village has to make way for lignite mining and Neu-Mühlrose is being built to replace it. The resettlement should be completed by the end of the year.
New research institute at the University of Halle to solve structural change in the lignite mining area
A new research institute at the University of Halle is to look for solutions to the problems of structural change in the Central German lignite mining region.
Seven lignite-fired units face final closure
In order to reduce the consumption of natural gas during the energy crisis, lignite-fired power plants were allowed to continue operating alongside hard coal. This is now over for seven units.
CDU politician from Saxony warns against focusing on large-scale projects in the structural change of lignite mining areas
Marko Schiemann emphasizes the importance of involving medium-sized and large companies in the structural change in Lusatia.
Head of lignite producer Mibrag sees little chance of early coal phase-out in the East
The head of lignite producer Mibrag, Armin Eichholz, currently sees little chance of a premature coal phase-out in the east. Mibrag operates the Vereinigtes Schleenhain and Profen opencast mines in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt and generates electricity from the coal in the Schkopau and Lippendorf power plants, which are due to be taken off the grid in 2034/2035. The "traffic light" federal government would ideally like to bring forward the coal phase-out in the east from 2038 to 2030, but the Minister Presidents of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg are against this. Eichholz emphasized that the expansion of renewable energies is putting pressure on coal-fired power generation, but that the question of supply during lulls and when there is little sunshine is also relevant. The plans envisage the construction of around 40 gas-fired power plant units by 2030, but whether this is feasible remains questionable. Eichholz also emphasized that power plants would have to keep running if the supply of renewable energies was scarce and that coal could hardly be avoided if the gas-fired power plants were not completed in time. The question of whether it is still worthwhile for the power plant operators is also open.
Flooding of post-mining lakes in the Lusatian lignite mining area with more water continues
The flooding of the post-mining lakes in the Lusatian lignite mining region continued in 2023 with more water than in previous years.
Robert Habeck meets Lausitzrunde: Transformation and the future of Lausitz
Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck meets the Lausitzrunde, a municipal alliance, to discuss the current status of the transformation in Lausitz. The article analyzes the progress, the financial support from the federal government and the ongoing challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers.