German coal imports rise by 8 percent to 44.4 million tons

 

Admin l Saturday, February 25, 2023

 

BERLIN – Amid the energy crisis prompted by the Ukraine war, Germany imported 8% more bituminous coal last year, or 44.4 million tons, according to an evaluation by the Association of Coal Importers (VDKI).

According to the evaluation first reported in Saturday’s edition of the German mass-circulation Bild newspaper, the most important supplier was still Russia with 13 million tons, which meant a decline of 37%.

Since August, the import of Russian coal into the EU has been banned because of the Ukraine war.

According to the VDKI, the second most important supplier country was the United States with 9.4 million tons, an increase of 32% compared to the previous year. Colombia and Australia follow behind the US.

Due to the energy crisis resulting from the lack of gas supplies from Russia as a result of sanctions due to its war on Ukraine, Germany is using more coal to generate electricity and has taken power plants out of reserve for this purpose. The energy source is also needed in steel production.

Burning coal produces more climate-damaging carbon dioxide than natural gas. The German government therefore wants to quickly secure the gas supply and reduce the use of coal.