Exiting lignite will save Germany up to 28 billion euros per year – study

Germany can save nearly 28 billion euros a year if it stops mining and using lignite, a study by Green Budget Germany (FÖS) commissioned by green power provider Greenpeace Energy has found. Apart from the costs of energy generation with lignite, which is also called brown coal, the study also includes the costs from detrimental climate and public health effects that result from burning the carbon-intensive fossil power source. At over 23 billion euros annually, these costs made up the bulk of total lignite costs, the researchers found. “The study debunks the myth that lignite is a cheap power source and shows that it actually is one of the most expensive forms of power production there is,” said Greenpeace Energy’s Janne Andresen. Exiting coal therefore not only was necessary to protect the climate but also an economic imperative, Andresen said.

Find the study in German here.

For background, see the factsheet Germany’s coal exit commission and the article Germany starts coal exit talks in bid to improve patchy climate record.