EU criticises German plans for new coal power plants

BERLIN – Germany is unwise to choose to build new brown coal power plants, which are the most harmful to the environment, European Union Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas was quoted as saying on Saturday.

“In terms of greenhouse gases, brown coal is the most unfavourable choice,” Dimas said in an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “Whoever builds coal power plants today needs to be aware of the fact that such a policy will be expensive in the long term,” he said in the interview, which was to be published in full yesterday.”From a middle term perspective, only coal power plants with environmentally acceptable technology …should be operated.”German utilities plan to put at least 26 new coal plants on line in the coming years.The German environment ministry has prepared plans to require to force brown coal power plants to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions as part of an overall plan to cut emissions.Germany is Europe’s biggest polluter.Nampa-Reuters”Whoever builds coal power plants today needs to be aware of the fact that such a policy will be expensive in the long term,” he said in the interview, which was to be published in full yesterday.”From a middle term perspective, only coal power plants with environmentally acceptable technology …should be operated.”German utilities plan to put at least 26 new coal plants on line in the coming years.The German environment ministry has prepared plans to require to force brown coal power plants to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions as part of an overall plan to cut emissions.Germany is Europe’s biggest polluter.Nampa-Reuters