Coal imports are still vital to the German metallurgy industry

The production of electricity in Germany by burning coal has dropped significantly over the past couple of years. The government's resolve to move away from coal as an energy source no later than 2038 as part of a larger climate protection program will inevitably accelerate this trend.

The country is also phasing out nuclear energy, which means renewables - particularly wind and solar - will have to play an increasing role in providing the nation with the energy it needs to continue playing in the major league of industrialized nations.

But until the full output of coal is almost two decades. Currently, coal-based energy production in Germany still accounts for about a quarter of total energy production.

In this context, it is important that coal mining in the country has already been stopped. The last mine in Bottrop in western Germany was closed back in December 2018.

The same fate ultimately awaits coal-fired power plants. Under the current coal output scheme, all remaining coal plants will be closed by 2038.

The controversial opening in May of a new such power plant, Datteln 4, in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is viewed as a bad joke by environmentalists, but will not change the overall strategy, which envisages ultimately reducing the nation's CO2 emissions by a quarter over the next 18 years (Germany intends to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions to 55% of 1990 levels by 2030).
According to VDKi statistics, imports of hard coal have already dropped significantly in 2019. Over the same period, imports of coking coal decreased by 7% and imports of steam coal by 17% (January-October). This is a significant decline when viewed against the backdrop of renewed growth in global coal trade over the same period (+ 0.7%) and a 2% increase in global coal production (7.2 billion tonnes).

It is important to note that the production of electricity from coal in Germany during the period under review decreased by 31%. Even more revealing is the future outlook - a 50% reduction in coal-fired power generation in just three years.

This is not simply due to a surge in renewable electricity generation. Coal is also losing the battle with the more economical natural gas and is facing a shortage as the price of CO2 has increased under the EU emission certificate trading scheme.

Although the role of hard coal (and, for that matter, lignite) in energy production for households will become less and less important every year, and is no longer significant for heating, it will remain important for the iron and steel sectors. for a long time. But in the end, these industries must also be