New power plants boost Germany's coal imports

摘要

The upgrade of existing coal-fired power plants and the building of new ones will see an increase in Germany's consumption and import of coalrnThe Annual Report 2010 published by the German Coal Import-ers Federation, (VDKi) shows that Germany saw its hard coal consumption fall in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis to 56.8 mt from the 71.7 mt reported in 2008. Sales of coal to its steel industry fell by 30% while supplies to its power stations fell by 13%.rnGermany is Europe's sec-ond largest coal consumer af-ter Russia. Coal imports in 2009, largely from Russia, South Africa and the U.S, fell by 8 mt to 40 mt as a result of the weaker steel industry and a drop in industrial demand for electric power. Imported coal met 71% of Germany's powerrnplant demands, 75% of its steel mills demands and 69% of its heating demands.