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Germany ‘may have to slow coal plant closures’
Germany Coal power
Germany may have to keep some coal-fired power plants online longer than planned, reports Clean Energy Wire, as it aims to accelerate the construction of gas-fired power stations during the ongoing energy crisis stemming from the US and Israeli war on Iran, German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said. Speaking at a conference organised by the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Merz said the country must ensure that it can secure baseload power generation in the short term. “We must now move quickly to build gas-fired power stations,” the chancellor said, adding that “we may even have to keep existing coal-fired power stations connected to the grid for longer, should the energy crisis continue, and a shortage actually arise.”
Germany’s coal exit law, agreed in 2020, introduced legislation to guarantee the step-by-step decommissioning of power plants, and stipulated that coal-fired power production must cease by 2038 at the very latest. Germany’s western coal region had planned for
an earlier phase-out by 2030. However, a likely lack of adequate backup capacities due to the delayed auctioning of new gas-fired power plants makes this earlier deadline increasingly unlikely. However in his speech Merz did not question 2038 as the final coal exit date. The decision to take coal plants offline ultimately rests with the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). The grid regulator can order plant operators to keep units online or in a reserve to ensure that sufficient capacity is available at all times to stabilise the grid. This, for example, can be important during so-called ‘Dunkelflaute’ periods with little wind or sunshine or at times of high renewable energy output, when grid operators have to curtail electricity feed-in in some regions and redispatch centralised power plants in others.
Merz said Germany would continue to expand wind and solar energy “at locations where this pays off,” but argued that supply security was paramount. “We must supply this country with electricity. I am not prepared to jeopardise the core of our industry simply
European first as tabletop
fusion device is installed Europe Fusion power
Alpha Ring, a prominent company in micro- fusion technology, has permanently installed its Alpha-E tabletop fusion device at Sofia University, marking a major milestone in the expansion of global access to hands-on fusion education. This is the first time fusion experiments have been available in a classroom in Europe. The installation supports the launch of a new undergraduate course, Introduction to Nuclear Fusion Systems, within the University’s Department of Radiophysics and Electronics. Built around the Alpha-E device, which is being donated to Sofia University by alumnus Dr Kosta Yanev. Through 15 structured modules, students are to receive training in high-voltage systems, microwave plasma generation, ion beam formation, vacuum engineering, fusion reaction diagnostics, and cross-section measurements, culminating in direct observation and analysis of fusion products. The permanent deployment formalises a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Alpha Ring and Sofia University two years ago. Since last April, the university has been trialling the Alpha-E device, integrating it into its Physical Electronics curriculum and enabling students to conduct laboratory-based plasma and fusion experiments.
Most notably, an undergraduate student has successfully used the Alpha-E device to complete a thesis titled “Measurement of Radiation in a Plasma Setup for Thermonuclear Fusion Research.” The project demonstrated
4 | April 2026 |
www.modernpowersystems.com
because we have adopted phase-out plans that have become unrealistic,” he said.
Restarting closed nuke ‘not feasible’
Merz said that restarting the three nuclear power plants that were shut down in 2023 was no longer technically feasible, but expressed optimism that ongoing research in fusion technology could lead to Germany’s building its first large-scale fusion power plant. He also expressed support for Germany joining other European countries in the research of small modular reactors, but added that gas-fired power plants were the more immediate and necessary solution.
Green Party politician Michael Kellner said the chancellor was wrong to hope that old coal-fired power plants will help Germany create a more resilient energy system. Instead, the auctions for ‘hydrogen ready’ gas plant should be initiated as quickly as possible and be coupled with a roll-out of large battery storage units, he said.
Québec starts $2bn Des Neiges wind
farm build Canada Wind power
deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion using the Alpha-E’s Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma source, with neutron detection confirmed via both internal detectors and an independent external system. The results validate the device’s capability as a working neutron source and a robust platform for university-level fusion research. The Plasma Module expands the Alpha-E device’s capability from particle detection and fusion diagnostics into broader plasma physics education, a critical cornerstone of fusion physics. The combined system can operate as a standalone plasma source or integrate into larger experimental setups, giving institutions flexibility in how they structure laboratory teaching. The installation follows Alpha-E’s first permanent installation at Purdue University in March and reflects Alpha Ring’s broader strategy for 2026: scaling its global footprint, embedding fusion devices into academic programmes, and building a distributed talent pipeline to support the commercialisation of fusion energy.
In Québec, construction has started on the Des Neiges wind farm located northeast of the city, representing an investment of about C$3bn ($2.1bn). This project is a part of a joint venture of Hydro-Québec, Boralex, and Énergir Devéloppement and is located in the grounds of the Séminaire de Québec in the Charlevoix region. The first two phases of the wind farm, covering the Southern and Charlevoix sectors, will include 114 turbines standing at a height of 200 m, each with a 7 MW capacity, generating 800 MWe in total. A future phase could raise total capacity to 1.2 GW, supporting Hydro- Québec’s goal of expanding its wind generation capacity from 4 GW to 10 GW by 2035. Hydro-Québec will purchase electricity from Boralex and its partners for less than 7.8 cents per kWh, although the exact price has not been disclosed. The Des Neiges south project is expected to be operational by the end of 2027, with the Charlevoix sector following in late 2028. Covering an area of 1,600km2, this initiative also witnessed participation from representatives of the Innu and Wendat communities. Speaking at the launch event in Beaupré, Québec premier François Legault said: “If we act intelligently, the next century could be Québec’s century from an economic standpoint.”
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