Germany is restarting another backup coal-fired plant next week, trying to save gas reserves for the winter, dpa reports.

The Heyden plant in Petershagen, near Hanover (Western Germany), is scheduled to return to the market from August 29 until the end of April next year, the operator Uniper announced on Monday.

Germany plans to phase out coal-based power generation by 2038 at the latest. But the war in Ukraine and the ensuing disruptions in the energy market have led to the reactivation of some plants. From July 14, a regulation allowed coal-fired power plants in the so-called reserve network to be fully reactivated to help save gas, according to Agerpres.

Backup plants produce electricity only when necessary to ensure grid stability.

With a capacity of 875 megawatts, the Heyden plant, which began operating in 1987, is one of the most powerful coal-fired power plants in Germany, according to Uniper.

At the beginning of August, the Mehrum plant in Hohenhameln, owned by the Czech energy group EPH, was the first coal-fired plant back into operation.

Several coal plants that have been put on standby are due to be restarted in the coming weeks amid reduced flows of imported gas from Russia.

Gas represents the largest part of the heating systems of homes in Germany.