"There will certainly be no ban on [gas] deliveries as the chemical industry requires natural gas supplies. But the export of Russian gas used to generate electricity will stop. Today it accounts for approximately a quarter, and is expected to grow to 40 percent by 2040 but will drop again later," Dehner told reporters, adding that after 2050 it would become too expensive to generate electrical power from fossil fuels.
READ MORE: Nord Stream Gas Supplies Continue Despite Power Failure — Germany's Gascade
Dehner said on Thursday that coal-fired power plants could be shut down in Germany in 2035-2038.
According to the energy strategy approved by the German government, the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy balance should increase from the current 20 percent and reach at least 80 percent by 2050.