Latest news with #bunkers
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Tighter carbon rules, slower economy to erode bunker demand growth, IEA says
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Stricter environmental regulations and slower global economic growth will soften marine fuel demand in the coming years, the International Energy Agency said in its annual report on Tuesday. Marine fuel sales jumped last year due to Red Sea disruptions that made shipping companies take longer routes. But demand for those fuels, also called bunkers, could flatline at around 5 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024-2030, because of weak underlying shipping growth and rising costs from tougher maritime environmental standards, the IEA said. Last April, member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations' shipping agency, agreed on a carbon pricing mechanism to help the shipping industry reach net zero emissions by 2050. The mechanism, pending final approval in October 2025, will require ships to pay a penalty for above-target greenhouse gas emissions from 2028. Shipping transports over 80% of all traded goods and causes nearly 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to UN data. Tariffs will create a harsher environment for global trade and shipping, potentially affecting bunkers disproportionately, and this could accelerate the ongoing disconnect between economic growth and maritime trade, the IEA said. Attacks on vessels in the Red Sea that forced some to avoid the Suez Canal initially supported bunker sales, adding 140,000 bpd to international bunkering demand last year, although this was only slightly above trend, the IEA said. At the same time, weak economic growth and soaring freight and insurance rates acted as headwinds, the IEA added.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are bunkers really making a comeback in Europe?
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a recent nationwide blackout affecting Spain and Portugal have shaken people's sense of security in Europe. For decades, bunkers were largely ignored — but now, interest is surging, particularly among private citizens, according to companies that specialize in building or restoring shelters. In Spain, for example, the private construction of bunkers has increased by 200% since Moscow launched its war in early 2022, industry companies report. Countries like Germany, France and the Baltic states are reportedly among the most advanced in their preparedness. Boom in demand from the private sector Companies specializing in the construction of private shelters or the reactivation of old bunkers in Germany are seeing an increase in demand. At Bunker Schutzraum Systeme Deutschland (BSSD), an employee describes an "exponential" increase in inquiries since 2014 — a trend that accelerated again in 2022 following the war in Ukraine, though still on a relatively modest scale. The clientele is made up entirely of private individuals. "Nothing is being done by the government," says Mario Piejde, the company's technical director and spokesperson. "People are slowly waking up and taking matters into their own hands — not just because of the fear of war, but also concerns about power outages or civil unrest." According to BSSD, 80% of current projects involve refurbishing older, privately owned bunkers, while 20% consist of converting basements in new residential buildings into protective shelters. At another firm, the Deutsches Schutzraum-Zentrum (DSZ), the trend skews in the opposite direction. Owner Peter Aurnhammer reports that 80% of their work involves new builds, where part of the basement is specifically designed as a secure shelter. Interest is growing across all demographics, he adds. "We see demand from all corners of society — tradespeople, doctors, politicians, business owners and families planning new homes with integrated shelter space." Music, art and carnival Today, the high-rise bunkers in Frankfurt are mainly used for civilian purposes - even if they are not as spectacular as the St Pauli bunker in Hamburg, a massive World War II shelter turned plant-covered hotel and tourist magnet. Some are used as rehearsal rooms for musicians or studios for artists. Others became clubhouses, youth centres or carnival clubs. Companies that already existed during the World War II still have bunkers from this period - one example can be found on the site of an industrial company in Frankfurt's Ostend district. The operators do not want the exact location to be publicized for fear of uninvited visitors. Today, the rooms are used as storage space or are empty. The door to a secret cellar that opens with a squeak From the outside, only the worn inscription "Luftschutzraum" (air-raid shelter) on a cellar grating indicates the existence of the facility. The path leads through a security door that can only be opened with a coded key card. Past clattering machines and the grinding noises of a conveyor belt, worn concrete steps lead into a labyrinth of corridors and windowless rooms that are not accessible to the public. An arched iron door squeaks open 12 metres underground. In the light of a torch, the words "Shelter for 45 people" written in German can be seen in Gothic script on the weathered paintwork of the door. The room is completely empty - but during the heavy airstrikes on Frankfurt in 1943 and 1944, dozens of people were crammed into a very small space. A few metres further on, the door to the former "command post" stands ajar. Apart from a few coat hooks, there are no longer any personal belongings or parts of the interior fittings of the time. The existence of separate toilets and showers for men and women suggests that stays could last several days. Bunkers 'not a contemporary approach' According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), Germany currently still maintains 579 public shelters with a total capacity of around 478,000 people. However, in 2006, the government decided to gradually decommission shelters and repurpose them for other uses. As a result, the nationwide provision of public shelters for defence purposes is no longer included in Germany's current civil defence strategy. The BBK emphasizes that times have changed: "For a long time, the construction and maintenance of public shelters was seen by the public as a central civil defence measure," said a spokeswoman. However, even during the Cold War, a maximum of 2% of the population could have found refuge in public shelters. The threat scenarios then and now are not comparable, she added. "Against this background, new ways of protecting the population must also be pursued. A nationwide construction of shelters is therefore not a modern approach to ensure effective protection of the population." Advice: Stock up on food, flashlight and a radio Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought new challenges for civil defence across Europe, according to Roman Poseck, interior minister of the German state of Hesse. He emphasizes that citizens can help bolster societal resilience by maintaining basic emergency supplies - such as food, water, a flashlight, spare batteries and a battery-powered radio. "The security situation has fundamentally changed for all European countries."
CNN
08-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Germany plans rapid expansion of outdated bunkers amid fears of Russian aggression
Germany's aging and decrepit bunker network is in need a major overhaul, according to the head of the federal agency tasked with nationwide civil protection in case of an attack. The Federal Agency for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK) President Ralph Tiesler said in an interview with popular German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 'For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario we needed to prepare for. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe.' Tiesler's words represent a real fear, echoed across Europe, that Russia could try to mount an attack on Europe again within four years. That timeframe is widely regarded as the minimum period Russia would need to rearm after fighting a bloody and long campaign in Ukraine. Germany only has 580 bunkers, many of them not operational, the newspaper report said. That number is down from nearly 2,000 that existed during the Cold War. Just 5% of the German population would currently be able to seek shelter in the event of an attack, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported. Germany's population is about 83 million people. The civil protection agency chief said that he will upgrade tunnels, metro stations, underground garages and basements of public buildings to 'quickly create one million shelter spaces,' as well as expand the nation's siren and notification systems. Tiesler said his agency will be presenting a full plan for the revamp and expansion in the summer but added that funding still needed to be secured. 'New bunker systems with very high protection requirements cost a lot of money and time,' said Tiesler. He noted that the BBK will likely require 'at least' 10 billion euros ($11billion) in the next four years and a further 30 billion euros ($34 billion) in the following 10 years to complete the overhaul. There is some cause for optimism, though, for the German agency. Friedrich Merz, before officially becoming chancellor, managed to unlock half a trillion euros ($570 billion) in spending for Germany's defense, some of which the BBK would be eligible to receive. However, given the scale of the task of updating the German armed forces the allocation of money may be prioritized elsewhere. Merz recently vowed to make Germany's army the strongest in Europe, but in order to meet that pledge, he will be required to spend huge sums of money to modernize, train and equip soldiers. A report released earlier this year from the parliament's armed forces commission pointed out that the German army has 'too little of everything.' It has long been underfunded, and much of the basic infrastructure of the army, including barracks, is well below standard, the Bundestag report said. It also comes as the army struggles to meet recruitment targets. In 2018, Germany committed to boosting its standing forces to 203,000 by 2025 — a target date that was later revised to 2031. The current standing size of the Germany army is just 181,000. Merz's government is mulling the possibility of introducing mandatory military service. The issue of manpower also concerns Tiesler and the BBK. 'We lack personnel in an emergency,' he told the newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. 'Perhaps we need a mandatory military service or a voluntary civil defense service… One that allows the choice between civilian and military service for the country,' he said.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany calls for rapid expansion of shelter network amid Russian threat
Germany is developing plans to rapidly expand its network of bunkers and shelters amid the threat of an attack from Russia over the next four years. Source: the Guardian, as reported by European Pravda Details: Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), said that Germany needs to wake up and realise the reality of the conflict and that in its current state the country is not sufficiently prepared. "For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe," he said. Tiesler called for a national effort to identify and convert tunnels, subway stations, underground garages, car parks and basements of public buildings into shelters to "quickly create space for 1 million people". His department will present a comprehensive plan later this summer, he said. He added that the country is in a race against time and relying on the construction of new shelters is not enough. Tiesler noted that the design and construction of such shelters will take a long time and will be very expensive, so it is urgent to consider the issue of existing structures. Of the roughly 2,000 bunkers and protective facilities in Germany left over from the Cold War, only 580 are in working order, and most need a multimillion-euro renovation. They could protect about 480,000 people – only 0.5% of the population of Germany. For comparison, according to BBK, Finland has 50,000 protective rooms that can accommodate 4.8 million people, or 85% of the population of the country. Efforts must also be made to improve information systems such as apps and road signs so that the population can find out exactly where it can find shelter, as well as upgrade warning sirens, Tiesler said. He called on the government of Friedrich Merz to provide funding for the implementation of the BBK's proposals. The government agreed that these proposals need to be put into practice, but has not yet allocated funds. Background: In May, the media reported that the United Kingdom was secretly preparing for a direct military attack from Russia amid fears that it was not ready for war. Additionally, Sweden declared that 100 million kroner (about US$10 million) would be used for the restoration and inspection of civil protection shelters. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Germany plans rapid bunker expansion amid fears of Russian attack
Germany is drawing up plans to rapidly expand its network of bomb-proof bunkers and shelters, the government's most senior civilian protection official has said, warning the state needs to be prepared for an attack from Russia within the next four years. Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), said Europe's largest economy needed to wake up to the reality of conflict, and that in its current state Germany was inadequately prepared. 'For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe,' he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung news outlet. Tiesler called for a national effort to pinpoint and turn tunnels, metro stations, underground garages, car parks and the cellars of public buildings into protective shelters to 'quickly create space for 1 million people'. He said his agency will present a comprehensive plan later this summer. He added that the country was in a race against time, and to rely on the construction of new bunker facilities was insufficient. Such shelters would take a long time to plan and construct and be very costly, Tiesler said. As a result, existing structures needed to be closely considered more immediately. Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine has caused fears in other countries, especially in Baltic states but also in Poland and Germany, that Moscow could open new fronts in Europe. Overnight, Russian forces launched missile and bomb strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, leaving three people dead and 22 injured. The mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said in a post on Telegram on Saturday that the city was 'experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war'. Of about 2,000 bunkers in Germany and protection rooms left over from the cold war, only about 580 are in working order and most need multimillion-euro revamps. They would shelter about 480,000 people, just half a percent of the German population. In comparison, the BBK said that Finland has 50,000 protection rooms, amounting to space for 4.8 million people, or 85% of its population. Tiesler said efforts also needed to be put into fine-tuning information systems, such as apps and road signs, to share with the public exactly where they could seek shelter, as well as upgrading warning sirens. Existing warning apps also needed to be better protected from hackers, he said. He urged Friedrich Merz's government to ensure funding was in place to enforce his agency's plans. It has agreed the plans are necessary but has yet to formally prescribe funds. Money is expected to be made available from the billions unleashed after parliament suspended Germany's debt brake in March, allowing large amounts of spending to take place in the military, vital infrastructure – such as bridges and roads enabling them to carry tanks and supplies – and civil defence. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion Intelligence services and cybersecurity structures, which are in vital need of investment, are also competing for the funds. Tiesler estimated at least €10bn (£8.4bn) would be needed over the next four years to cover civil defence needs, and at least €30bn over the next decade. He also called for the establishment of a compulsory or voluntary civil protection service and urged citizens to contribute to making the country more resilient by stocking up on emergency supplies in the case of power and water shortages. 'Our appeal is: build up enough supplies to last you 10 days, if possible,' he told the newspaper, reflecting similar calls by other European governments. 'But even a supply for at least 72 hours would be very helpful,' Tiesler added. 'This can be used to bridge minor interruptions in everyday life.'
