Sören Amelang

Berlin

Staff Correspondent at Clean Energy Wire

Energy transition, climate change and science stuff, especially mobility & hydrogen. Works at Clean Energy Wire. Neglected private blog at https://t.co/IflSS4gUJt

Articles

Aspiring German government opts for energy transition continuity

2 weeks ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

Germany’s prospective government has agreed in its coalition treaty to continue the country’s landmark energy transition without major adjustments and stick to existing climate targets. Faced with economic stagnation and the geopolitical shake-up after the US election, the coalition parties – the conservative CDU/CSU alliance under chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz and the Social Democratic Party – have put more emphasis on economic competitiveness than climate action.
Reactions from energy and climate community to Germany's 2025 coalition treaty

2 weeks ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

Germany’s prospective coalition government has agreed to continue the country’s landmark energy transition without major adjustments, and stick to existing climate targets. In their coalition treaty, conservatives and Social Democrats put a stronger emphasis on economic competitiveness, while slightly toning down climate ambitions. In this collection, we present first reactions from industry, think tanks, and NGOs to the agreement.
Green methanol emerges as best candidate for climate-neutral shipping, report finds

2 weeks ago | reccessary.com | Sören Amelang

International shipping continues to run almost exclusively on fossil fuels and causes around three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Image: Unsplash)Climate-neutral industrial alcohol made with renewable electricity appears to be the most suitable synthetic fuel to decarbonise international shipping, researchers from the Institute of Maritime Energy Systems at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have found.
Warming winters lead historic German sled maker to halt production

2 weeks ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

One of Germany’s final traditional wooden sled manufacturers is halting production because of climate change, reported daily paper Die Welt. “The fact that there is virtually no winter here, no more snow, means it's simply no longer worth it,” said Johannes Ress, who heads the Bavaria-based family business of the same name, to regional broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk.
German refineries face unprecedented crisis as ministry calls sector “indispensable”

2 weeks ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

The German government is concerned about the country’s oil refineries, which are facing the most serious crisis in decades caused by the rising cost of emissions, cheap fuel imports, weak demand and underinvestment, reported business daily Handelsblatt. Some companies want to get rid of their refineries or stakes in them, but a lack of potential buyers means the closure of individual sites can no longer be ruled out, according to the article.
Germany adds another one million PV arrays to take solar total to 104 gigawatts

2 weeks ago | reneweconomy.com.au | Sören Amelang

Following a rapid rise in household solar panel installations, Germany’s total number of PV arrays has passed the five million “milestone,” according to industry association BSW-Solar. The lobby group said that number was now registered with the country’s grid agency BNetzA. Solar systems already cover almost 15 percent of Germany’s electricity demand, BSW-Solar said. More than one million new solar systems with a capacity of around 17 gigawatts were installed last year alone.
Green methanol best candidate to make shipping climate-neutral - report

2 weeks ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

Climate-neutral industrial alcohol made with renewable electricity appears to be the most suitable synthetic fuel to decarbonise international shipping, researchers from the Institute of Maritime Energy Systems at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have found. Switching to green methanol could reduce CO2 emissions by 96 percent over the entire life cycle of ships, the researchers said in a report commissioned by NGO Greenpeace.
Number of PV arrays in Germany passes 5 million “milestone”

2 weeks ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

Following a rapid rise in household solar panel installations, Germany’s total number of PV arrays has passed the five million “milestone,” according to industry association BSW-Solar. The lobby group said that number was now registered with the country’s grid agency BNetzA. Solar systems already cover almost 15 percent of Germany’s electricity demand, BSW-Solar said. More than one million new solar systems with a capacity of around 17 gigawatts were installed last year alone.
Prospective new German government shows no ambition to speed up coal exit

1 month ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

Germany's prospective new coalition government does not want to pursue the outgoing government's aspiration to pull the country's coal exit forward to 2030 from the official 2038 deadline.
Merz reaches deal on infrastructure fund by promising Greens €100 bln for climate action

1 month ago | cleanenergywire.org | Sören Amelang

Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, conservative Christian Democrat Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz, has reached a breakthrough deal on the 500-billion-euros infrastructure fund proposed by his prospective coalition government, by promising to dedicate a fifth of the sum to climate action.