The Austrian government, facing a drop in gas supplies from Russia, announced on Sunday evening that it will restart a decommissioned coal-fired power plant in order to compensate for a possible shortage, AFP reports.

The Austrian chancellery announced in a press release issued at the end of a crisis meeting that, together with the Verbund group, the country’s main electricity supplier, “it has been agreed to reactivate the thermal power plant” in Mellach (south), which is currently closed. The aim is for it “to be able to produce electricity again, from coal, in case of emergency,” according to Agerpres.

The process is expected to take several months, the Ministry of Environment told the APA news agency.

Mellach, Austria’s last coal-fired power plant, was shut down in the spring of 2020 as part of the government’s desire to eliminate this polluting source of energy and produce 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

“Our main goal is to secure the country’s supply,” 80% of gas coming from Russia, said Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who co-governs with the Greens. “It is a question of replacing the missing Russian gas with other sources or suppliers, so that we can continue to make reserves.”

Austria had a storage rate of 39% in mid-June, up from the European Union average, according to a press release.

Germany also announced emergency measures on Sunday, including the possibility of using coal-fired power plants.