facing its own difficulties with the current heat waves, which make it more difficult to keep the country's nuclear power plants running and with some looking anxious, lee toward heating season. we take a look at how far along germany is becoming independent from russian. i'm chris kolber on berlin. welcome to the program. weeks of hot and dry weather in europe are taking their toll water levels on the river right have dropped further. the water level was at $32.00 centimeters. monday morning at kalb checkpoint between the western german cities of mines and cobblins that run 20 centimeters lower than a week ago. passenger ships and freight vessels have been struggling with low water levels for weeks. the ryan is a major route for goods, chemicals, and coal, which can be shipped between germany and neighboring countries. let's get more from d. w reporter matters. this man who is on

a coal vessel underway on the rhine river matters. how have the crew of this vessel been coping with the low water levels? yeah, well, as you can see, they are still carrying coal, but they are carrying one 3rd of the possible cargo that the ship could actually carry. also, you know, the fuel consumption. now it's much less economical for the ship to go, and the captain has to concentrate much more to go through the narrow straits that we're going to pass south of copeland's later in the day. so much less cargo, meaning much less revenue. i would assume i met the seller, so what would it mean a as a whole for the german economy if the water levels sank further. well, i mean it's, it's tough to say right now and we have to understand the ryan is the most

important german waterway for shipping. and we have oil pipelines that go alongside the rain, ryan, and there's also trains carrying cargo. but both of them are at full capacity at the moment. so you know this, this coal, this amounts to about 16 cargo trucks to go. and that means it will be very difficult to keep up on the supplies further south. now we've had a severe economic down shift after a drought in 2018 and with a coming droughts in, you know, with the climate crisis to go. we are looking at a downturn of economy. w reporter matters richmond reporting from the river. ryan, that matters. thank you. thank you. now the latest heat wave is not only causing water level, so drop. it is also affecting frances nuclear power plants,

which account for 70 percent of the country's energy production. the high temperatures mean only some of them can be kept operating d w's. lisa lewis, reports, france has been baking and temperatures of up to 40 degrees for months. now, that is putting french nuclear plants under strain. authorities are having to bend the rules for about a 5th of them just to keep them running. usually nuclear power plant operators are only allowed to discharge their cooling water into rivers like the gone. if the rivers temperature is under a certain limit, that is to protect the local flora and fauna county, though authorities have suspended that rule at certain reactors like the goldfish blonde. here behind me, they say it's the only way to guarantee francis power supply losses either or

unable a bonus other. but these environmental activists are outraged that rules are being suspended for nuclear power plants. when river systems are already under stress in the heat and drought, he norman, one more, some ball, they say warming them up even more is disastrous thing that the hospital for so it's a catastrophe for plants and fish it. some of them die, which has ripple effects throughout the whole food chain with fuels. when, for example, there are no micro algy certain small fish die that are normally food for bigger fish. plus warmer water contains more bacteria in order to make it potable. we have to add a lot of chemicals, which people then drinking follow fall under the ring. but with half of all reactors close for maintenance, france desperately needs the ones that are running to keep going. power company,

e d f, which declined our request for an interview has called the situation extraordinary . and yet the current issues don't seem to be an existential problem for french nuclear power. the government is about to nationalize e d f and plans to build new reactors. this energy expert says, betting heavily on nuclear for energy is not a good strategy, especially in the short run. a little during our bother to lucia. his were immediate war levels, new nuclear plants can't be commissioned in the short term, as their technology is not ready yet, renewables a different, they have become cheaper and cheaper over the past few years and could be deployed immediately across the country. a shouted the hill mar fell. oh it, dorcas belmont, and did y m r e media? neighboring countries will be watching closely until now. france has been europe's

biggest net energy exporter this year, though. the country will have to import more electricity than it's exporting. and saying with the energy market, germany is looking for gas with russia severely lowering deliveries, norway, and cut our jump in bud with many looking anxiously towards heating season. norway says it cannot increase its gas applies to germany, already livers, or delivers all the gas and candidates, according to prime minister donors. gus dora during a press conference which he held with the german chancellor shoals in oslo. any further, bruce would necessitate new gas. 1 discoverers previously cut are announced that it cannot deliver more gas either. now, the fallout from russia's worn ukraine has pushed gas price in this, in europe, to new records, future contracts. trading amsterdam saw sharp increases when russia invaded ukraine

back in february and more hikes when it reduce deliveries to european countries. now last year, russian import accounted for more than half of gas deliveries to europe with almost a 3rd of gas demand coming from the industry. and just over 40 percent, from households for the leaders and berlin say they are doing what they can to replace russian gas with renewable energy. but that'll take time. last year, russian gas deliveries accounted for almost 500000000 gigawatts. hours of energy so far this year. only 3 and a half 1000 gigawatt hours. we're adding solar and only one and a half 1000 in wind energy. so let's get carol not less you on this, she is the head of the advisory firm, crystal energy. what come to d. w carol? germany is trying to transition away from russian gas by the looks of it. the country still has quite a way to go. what do you think?

absolutely. i mean, it's not easy if it was, for example, oil of quality with their father, maybe a faster solution, but gas by its nature is a long term business. you rely on by applying gas, which took the case to build and to be functioning as a defense does not something it can happen over night. i know that germany is working very hard on reducing its consumption of natural gas. and i think of natural gas coming from russia, and they have done, you know, significant progress to day. but to say it's going to turn it back entirely on. it is not just germany menu in countries, in many countries around the world as well. it's going to take a while. this is the reality of the gas business. unfortunately. so even with the political motivation or to turn away from russian gas, germany will still need the kremlin approved gas in the future for that matter. when in the future, again, this is the question of time. so in the future, the longer term, there's plenty of gas around and not necessarily coming from russia. it just takes

time to take that gas out of the growth that you needed by benhaven ships. that energy liquefied natural gas, you do have available that just takes time to burn the terminals to explore that. and even if they are there, you need the most important. and this, what you not to have insurance is going to be there. when you have more energy coming to germany than you know, we didn't need to rush and guess you can easily was off rush and guess, but that will take time. and now there are people who are fearing a gas shortage when it comes, sir to eating season in the coming months. not only germany, but in other countries in europe as well. should it come to that who should be prioritized companies or households? alyssa, question on balance economics was moral, etc, and political interest, but usually i think most government would agree that households should be given the priority and then industries will have to cope even the economy. cost might be much more significant, but if i were to answer it from a more perspective,

i would say households should come 1st. big efforts are underway in europe, or as i mentioned, to move away from russian gas. but if we look at other parts of the world, what does the picture there look like? well, i think that if you, it's very valuable because in the u. s, for example, we have was the by the administration, they are going aggressively on climate change. but in the last bill that they passed in flash reduction, as we can see, that they are almost giving similar treatment to green energy. and it was as also conventional oil and gas. asia is pretty hard core and they will stick to percent fuel for as long as it takes because they put great emphasis on energy security. why i tried to sell because i think what europe came to realize after this energy crisis is that you cannot really separate between climate security and energy security and focus only on time and security. you cannot achieve climate security. climate of this without meeting the requirements of energy security 1st,

and that's what we're seeing today in, you know, a more lenient c towards investments in gas. for example. this, my guess is being classified as a green investment in the following the crisis. a girl or briefly, if you could, how long will it take for a highly industrialized nation, like germany, to move away from fossil fuels to become independent from fossil fuels? it will take awhile, it will take really decays and not years. carol nutler, founder and ceo of advisory firm crystal energy. carol, thank you for your time. thank you. now remember these, it's been 40 years since the 1st music cd came out and the shiny disks quickly became popular all over the world. the 1st issue was us, the visitors produce and hand over germany. what made the cd so hot? well the sound quality was way better than a cassette tape and vinyl could provide. and it was easy to skip over

a song if you didn't like it. but the big idea behind the cd was also it's downfall music was digitized. and that concept later led straight to streaming. and his reminder of the top of business story we are following for you at you water levels along the river i and are getting dangerously low during a record right summer, the rhine is one of germany's most important waterways and an important shipping route for coal chemicals and other goods. roger, that's our show. thanks to watch. ah, [000:00:00;00]

with ah! it looks like a c. t's on wheels. not perhaps it could be electric car for the entire world. b, a c. m. city one. affordable, flexible, uncomplicated, developed in germany. usable wherever there's a conventional household socket. plug and play red ah, in 30 minutes on d. w. o, for dickie. he lived with a call for his a roof. steve is now near relief,

survived in 2 years ago. in an interview, he told us, living in a story about a power of literature. song in 70 minutes, d, w. j. a high, a continent with variety of cars. so what this? so the focus, the movers shake is visionaries and make it when bonding the meaning of modern africa. this is an egg on d. w is the end of the pandemic in site. we show what it could look like will return in the normal and we visit

those who are finding it difficult with successes or you know, weekly coping 19 special every thursday on d w. ah ah ah, ah, this is the w news live from berlin. the runner up in canada as presidential election breaks the silence and reject the results rather or dingo says he will challenge his defeat to william router, but urges canyons to remain peaceful through the process will bring the latest from