Germany to reactivate coal power plants as Russia curbs gas flow

Parliament approves measures to use mothballed sites to produce electricity and preserve gas supplies

Germany's two houses of parliament have passed emergency legislation to reactivate mothballed coal-fired power plants in order to support electricity generation amid fears of gas shortages as Russia curbs capacity.

The move has been described as painful but necessary" by the government's environmentalist economics minister, Robert Habeck. It has the backing of leading Greens in the coalition government, who argue it is needed as a short-term crisis management tool.