ESSEN/BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The energy group RWE has so far no indications of longer running times for the five lignite-fired power plants that are longer on the grid because of the gas crisis. So far, it has been determined that three plants may participate in the market until the end of June at the latest and two plants until the end of March 2024 at the latest. "We do not know whether the German government is planning extensions to these deadlines," a spokesman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur on Friday.

In order to reduce power generation from gas and thus save gas, the German government had last year enabled the recommissioning or continued operation of coal-fired power plants.

Last fall, RWE returned three power plant units (Niederaussem E and F, Neurath C) from safety standby to the grid. They would participate in the electricity market for a limited period until June 30, 2023, within the legal regulatory framework, the spokesman said. "After their decommissioning, no further safety reserve is planned." RWE CEO Markus Krebber had said Thursday, "We don't want to operate the coal-fired power plants from the safety reserve for longer than necessary."

The three plants are allowed to continue running under a regulation. Whether there is a new regulation that would allow an extension of market participation is currently being examined, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics. This ordinance had also allowed the energy company Leag to take the Jänschwalde E and F power plant units in the Lausitz coalfield out of reserve.

RWE is also allowed to operate two power plant units (Neurath D and E), which were originally scheduled to be shut down by the end of 2022, until the end of March 2024. "Until then, they are to remain in the market against the background of the gas supply situation," the spokesman said. These two plants fall under the Coal-Fired Power Generation Termination Act. That stipulates that by the end of September 2023, the federal government will review whether the plants should continue to operate for one more year, until the end of March 2025, or be transferred to a reserve./tob/DP/mis