FRANKFURT, June 20 (Reuters) - German importers of coal for power generation and steelmaking are ready to provide supplies until the completion of new gas-fired plants, plugging a gap left by the country's nuclear exit.
Though the electricity system in Europe's biggest economy is making the transition to cleaner energy, coal helped it to avoid energy shortfalls last winter when Russia turned off most of its gas exports. Connectors
Operators and regulators say that despite high European gas inventories and low prices, further Russian supply cuts, a cold winter and increased Asian buying of liquefied natural gas (LNG) could again leave Europe short of gas.
The German coal industry, however, is ready to step into the breach ojnce again, said Alexander Bethe, chairman of the VDKi coal importers' association.
If there is another gas shortage in the coming winter, hard coal stocks are well filled, Bethe said in a statement issued during the VDKi's summer meeting.
"We will there be if we are needed," said Bethe.
Looking further ahead, Bethe said that Germany will need 50 new units at gas-fired power plants by 2030 to provide stable power that compensate for intermittent renewables.
The economy ministry is due by the end of the year to issue its strategy to tender for new gas turbines providing 25 GW of power capacity by 2030.
Bethe said the government plan will not be achievable, given long-winded planning and permitting procedures, lengthy construction periods and a lack of investment appetite while gas prices are high.
Hard coal imports into Germany last year totalled 44.4 million tonnes, up 8% from the previous year.
Reporting by Vera Eckert Editing by Friederike Heine and David Goodman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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