The Netherlands is joining other European nations to return to coal amid an energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This week, the Netherlands announced that restrictions on coal-fired power plants would be lifted. Previously, fossil fuels accounted for only one third of production. ARCHIVE: Chemical tanker barges moored near silos and refining towers at the Royal Dutch Shell Plc Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Tuesday 27 April 2021. (Peter Boer / Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images) “The cabinet has decided to immediately lift production restrictions for coal-fired power plants from 2002 to 2024,” Dutch Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten told reporters, adding that the decision was made in preparation for other European countries. . The government had phased out the use of coal for power generation, allowing coal-fired power plants to operate at only 35% of their capacity in recent years, as it aims to switch to sustainable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ENERGY EXPORTS IN CHINA INCREASE BY PRINTING SAUDI ARABIA AS BEIJING’S TOP SUPPLIER “The risk of doing nothing is very high,” Jetten said, as he also called on businesses and homeowners to do what they can now to limit the use of natural gas to prevent winter shortages. Europe is trying to get rid of Russian energy in the midst of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Austria, Germany and Italy have all signaled that coal-fired power plants could provide a short-term solution given Europe’s heavy dependence on Russian energy. Russia’s Gazprom announced last week that it was drastically reducing supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany for what it said were technical reasons. The German government says the move appears to be politically motivated. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX BUSINESS APPLICATION On Sunday, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Germany would try to offset the move by allowing increased burning of coal, a more polluting fossil fuel. Habek, a member of the Green Party, said the move was “bitter” but “simply necessary” to reduce gas use. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
