Coal news and updates

Germany is to burn more coal as it seeks to limit its use of Russian gas https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/tdpelmedia.com/germany-is-to-burn-more-coal-as-it-seeks-to-limit-its-use-of-russian-gas%3famp=1

Germany plans to burn more coal in order to reduce its reliance on Russian gas.

Robert Habeck, the economy minister, confessed that in order to achieve energy security, his country will have to increase its use of a highly polluting fossil fuel.

‘That’s bitter, but it’s simply necessary in this situation to lower gas usage,’ he insisted.

Gazprom, the Russian gas corporation, stated last week that it would suspend supply through the vital Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to technical issues.

Mr. Habeck believes the action was motivated by politics.

The EU decided last month to prohibit most Russian oil imports, but a gas embargo is still a long way off. Russia provides around 27% of the union’s imported oil and 40% of its natural gas.

Member states have been hesitant to lessen their reliance on Russian natural gas quickly, fearing that it will raise prices for European consumers.

However, Brussels has set a goal of totally weaning itself from Russian energy by 2030, and Germany has put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project with Moscow on hold.

The United Kingdom imports fewer than 4% of its gas from Russia, which it plans to phase out by the end of this year — or as soon as feasible thereafter.

It comes as the British Army’s new chief of staff cautioned yesterday that his troops must be ready to battle Russia’s forces – and win.

According to Patrick Sanders, the violent invasion of Ukraine could presage greater fighting across Europe.

‘There is now a burning imperative to forge an Army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle,’ the general wrote to his troops after taking the post on Monday.

‘We are the generation that must prepare the Army to fight in Europe once again.’

Sir Patrick said he was ‘the first chief of the general staff since 1941 to take command of the Army in the shadow of a land war in Europe involving a continental power’.

In the letter, seen by The Sun, he added: ‘Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underlines our core purpose to protect the UK by being ready to fight and win wars on land.’

The head of Nato warned at the weekend that Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine could go on for years – and urged allies to keep up their support.

Jens Stoltenberg said supplying state-of-the-art weaponry to Kyiv’s troops would boost the chance of freeing the eastern region of Donbas from Russian control.

‘We must prepare for the fact that it could take years,’ the Norwegian told a German newspaper. ‘We must not let up in supporting Ukraine – even if the costs are high, not only for military support, but also because of rising energy and food prices.’

The message was echoed by Boris Johnson, who urged Western leaders to prepare for a long war in Ukraine or risk the ‘greatest victory for aggression in Europe since the Second World War’.

The Prime Minister said Kyiv needed ‘constant funding and technical help, which we should plan to sustain for years to come and increase as necessary’.

‘Time is the vital factor,’ he wrote in The Sunday Times. ‘Everything will depend on whether Ukraine can strengthen its ability to defend its soil faster than Russia can renew its capacity to attack.’