German energy giant RWE has begun dismantling a wind farm to make way for a further expansion of an open-pit lignite coal mine in the Western region of North Rhine Westphalia.

German energy giant RWE has begun dismantling a wind farm to make way for a further expansion of an open-pit lignite coal mine in the western region of North Rhine Westphalia.

I thought renewables were cheaper than coal. How is this possible?

  • emmanuel_car@kbin.social
    14·
    1 year ago

    12ft paywall removed link

    The demolitions are part of a deal brokered last year between Robert Habeck, the Green party’s minister for economy and climate action and Mona Neubaur, who is the economy minister for North Rhine Westphalia, to allow the expansion of the mine.

    In return, RWE had to agree to phase out coal in 2030, eight years before the previous deadline. “It’s a good day for climate protection,” Habeck said at the time.

    What’s the timeline for getting this expansion built? And what’s the lifecycle of the plant? I understand there are energy scarcity concerns, but how is this the most economical option when it’s ~7 years until they’re supposed to phase out coal?

    • andrai@feddit.de
      10·
      1 year ago

      The wind turbines are already at the end of their lifespan and they knew RWE had the license to expand the mine there when the wind turbines where build.

      Of course it’s economical for RWE, they are not building a new mine. Just continuing their mining operation there for another 7 years.

      • Fosheze@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        I mean, that’s probably actually it. Short term profits are all shareholders care about. We’ve seen that time and time again where businesses will absolutely mutilate themselves just so shareholders can enjoy a short term price spike. This is just a pump and dump but for the energy industry.

    • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
      2·
      1 year ago

      Most likely they have no intention of stopping coal production and will just move the deadline again in 2030 and no one will do anything about it.

      • TWeaK@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        That’s possible, particularly if different parties are in power at that time. However the article also notes that lignite is becoming less economically viable and may need to be wound up anyway in 2030.

    • Not_mikey@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 year ago

      I’m guessing their bracing for winter without Russian oil. Which will hopefully be transitory, but also sort of delays the inevitable. If they can’t survive a winter without fossil fuels they need to figure it out quick.

    • PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml
      28·
      1 year ago

      I suspect that they have no intention of phasing out coal, or there are certain unrealistic requirements that have to be met before the “agreement” to end coal is enforced. It’s just pageantry, Germany has no intention of ending coal dependence.