German economy minister defends plans to build gas-fired power plants
German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Friday defended the new conservative-led government's plans to build gas-fired power plants.
With coal being phased out to meet climate protection targets, and due to price of carbon dioxide (CO2), secure energy capacity is need, Reiche argued in Berlin. "We urgently need a gas supply, even over a longer period."
The minister, who took office last week, dismissed accusations of lobbying and advocated measures to store and re-use carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, known as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU).
"When I now hear and read that the gas lobby is at work here, I would like to immediately tell the critics that we must simultaneously enable the capture of CO2, meaning CCS and CCU," she added.
"If we need secured capacity and want to pursue climate protection at the same time, we must deal with the CO2 produced, and we will do so by capturing, transporting and storing it."
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government has faced criticism for its plans on energy policy.
The administration - made up of Merz's Christian Democrats, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the centre-left Social Democrats - agreed in its coalition deal to build new gas-fired power plants with a total capacity of up to 20 gigawatts.
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