Germany is now generating nearly a third of its electricity from coal as it scrambles to replace Russian gas before winter

As Russian gas cuts force the country to look for alternative sources of fuel before winter, Germany is using more coal to generate electricity.

Data from Germany's national statistics office, Destatis, shows that the European nation produced 82.6 kilowatt-hours of electricity from coal-fired power plants in the first six months of the year. It generated a third of its power from coal.

Germany slashed its electricity production from natural gas, decreasing it from 14.4% to 11.7% of its total electricity mix. Natural gas has become less and less affordable recently.

The shift from gas to coal shows Germany's desperation to have enough fuel before the cold weather sets in. Russia has been accused of weaponizing energy in response to sanctions imposed by the West.

Germany has been forced to make a U-turn on fossil fuels due to the fact that coal is cheaper than gas. Uniper, an energy company, recently put up a coal-fired power plant to cut its dependence on Russian energy.

The Dutch TTF natural gas futures have reached record highs this year as the market tightens. The price of gas was down 4% at 204 euro at last check.

The price of coal in October was $338 compared to $430 in March. The price of coal could go up if demand goes up.

SEB analyst Ole Hvalbye told Insider that consumers prefer coal and oil over nat gas when prices are high.

Commerzbank, one of the country's biggest banks, predicts that Germany could fall into a recession if Russia chokes off supplies.