A European energy crisis caused by gas cuts from Russia has forced Germany to switch to coal.
The country has increased its coal-fired power generation the most this year by 18.2% compared to other European countries.
Austria, the Netherlands and Italy are considering using coal again, but the transition may be difficult for other European countries.
Large amounts of coal-fired power plants have been retired in recent years, making it difficult for most countries to switch from gas to coal in generation.
Austria shut down its last coal- fueled power plant in 2020 as part of a plan to slash the use of carbon- intensive fossil fuels.
While Germany shut down many coal plants in recent years, it still has coal plant fleets that can be revived.
It will be possible to open the plants at short notice because some of them are in reserve.
Uniper, a German utility giant, recently announced it will temporarily fire up a coal-fired power plant to produce electricity until the end of April in response to crunched gas flows to the country, as Russia retaliates to Western sanctions imposed after it invaded Ukranian
According to data viewed by Insider, Germany is on track to have 35 coal power plants online by the end of the year.
The River Rhine is one of the most important rivers in Europe and used to transport goods. On record-breaking summer heatwaves, it dropped and has caused fear among the German government of a potential coal shortage due to reduced domestic shipping along the river.
The tight global coal market makes it hard for other countries to transition to coal. The global thermal coal market is expected to remain extremely tight in the third and fourth quarters of this year, according to the International Energy Agency.
The winter is going to be very difficult. SEB Group analyst Ole Hvalbye told Insider that Q4-22 and Q1-23 would be difficult and Europe would likely need all other options.
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