![]() Ultium Home and Ultium Commercial will, as their names imply, supply energy storage for homes and businesses, respectively. The new business unit, called GM Energy, will consist of Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial and Ultium Charge 360 divisions. "We were already having a bad time thanks to the omicron wave and now things are even more bleak," council member Monika Schnitzer told DW.(GM) is starting its own energy storage business using its Ultium battery packs to power homes and charge cars as well as to feed power back into the grid when needed. With new storm clouds gathering, the German Council of Economic Experts now predicts Germany's GDP will only grow by about 1.5% in 2022, a marked correction from its earlier predictions. "We must now take concrete measures to prepare for the emergency level, because in case of a stoppage things would have to move fast," Andreae added. Kerstin Andreae, chairwoman of BDEW, the association for the energy and water industry, said "all parties involved need to have a clear road map of their rights and obligations in the event of a supply disruption." Habeck, who is also vice-chancellor, appealed to private consumers and businesses to cut their energy use, adding: "We are in a situation where every kilowatt-hour saved helps." If Germany were to ration gas, households and critical infrastructure like hospitals, would be prioritized over heavy industry Image: Thomas Imo/photothek/IMAGO Gas alert system hailed as 'responsible'ĭespite the dramatic economic fallout from any supply cut, several business groups described the early warning level as "responsible," including the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). "If there's a lot of heating, then the storage facilities will be emptied.'' "The question of how long the gas will last basically depends on several factors (such as) consumption and weather,'' he said. Two years needed to cut reliance on Russiaĭespite promises to cut its reliance on Russian gas - the share stood at more than 50% before the invasion and has since fallen to roughly 40% - Habeck claimed that Germany is unlikely to find enough alternative sources until mid-2024.Īnnouncing the emergency alert system Wednesday, he said Germany's gas storage facilities are currently filled to about 25% capacity. No other sector utilizes more of Germany's gas supply than the chemical sector, at about 15%. Natural gas is also used both as a source of energy and as a raw material by chemical producers. The chemical sector is a critical part of Germany's export-oriented economy as most industries cannot do without chemical products, including car manufacturers, pharmaceutical producers and construction firms. "Once chemical plants are shut down, they remain silent for weeks and months," he stressed. Kullmann, who is also head of the specialty chemicals company Evonik, said the disruption would have a "huge domino effect through almost all industries." "The consequences would not only be reduced work hours and job losses, but also the rapid collapse of the industrial production chains in Europe - with worldwide consequences," Vassiliadis added.Ĭhristian Kullmann, head of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), also warned that chemical plants are so complex, they "can't just be switched off and on again like a microwave oven." President of Germany's IG BCE chemical workers union Michael Vassiliadis, who also sits on BASF's supervisory board, said around 40,000 employees would have to be put on short-time working hours or laid off. One worst-case scenario involves the world's largest chemical firm BASF, whose main chemical production site in the western city of Ludwigshafen would have to be partially or fully shut down. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Disruption would spike unemploymentīusiness leaders and unions have warned that any disruption to gas supplies would be devastating for Europe's largest economy, as it has not yet fully recovered from the post-COVID supply chain crisis. Germany triggers early warning plan for gas supplies ![]()
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