GREVENBROICH (dpa-AFX) - Energy company RWE wants to sue for 1.4 million euros from climate activists who blocked the Neurath lignite-fired power plant. "A corresponding civil suit is being prepared," said a company representative on Tuesday in the criminal trial against a defendant at the Grevenbroich district court. The climate activists had blocked the tracks to the Neurath coal-fired power plant in November 2021.

In the process, a 24-year-old diverse person from Oldenburg must answer. She is accused of disturbing public operations and resistance to law enforcement officers. According to the indictment, two activists had chained themselves to the rails.

From the activists' point of view, the action was a success: because RWE had to shut down the power plant, 8000 tons less carbon dioxide had been emitted. The RWE employee contradicted this: Because of the action, he said, power plants had been ramped up elsewhere and emissions had been created there. The trial will be continued on January 24./hom/DP/men