Power shortages might halt Germany's trains

The economy minister of the NRW region, Garrelt Duin, told the online edition of the Rheinische Post daily that authorities were working "intensively" to find a solution to a problem that could affect millions.

"We are working on a legally correct solution to allow the plant to stay on the network for longer than previously planned," Duin said.

"I am sure there will be no cancellations in NRW this winter due to insufficient power resources for trains," added Duin.

Three blocks of the Datteln power plant in the western state were due to be mothballed in January. According to the website of E.ON, which runs the plant, this power station provides around 20% of the power for the railways in the region.

Duin's pledge came after the head of Germany's state-run rail operator, Deutsche Bahn (DB), warned train services might be scrapped after Datteln is halted. A replacement plant is not yet ready to be added to the network.

On cold winter days, as many as 30% of the train services might be cancelled, Ruediger Grube told the WAZ group of newspapers on Thursday.

"If the mothballing occurs and nothing happens, there is a danger that DB could have bottlenecks in its supply on cold winter mornings," he said.

NRW is one of DB's busiest states, employing 30,000 staff and carrying some 21m long-distance passengers and 306m regional passengers.

In the wake of Japan's 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, Germany decided to shut down its nuclear reactors by 2022 and ramp up the use of renewable energy.

But the switch to renewable energy has led to fears of shortages and in February this year, Germany was forced to tap into its electricity reserves during a cold snap.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge.