Germany September composite PMI (final) 53.8; expected 53.8; prior 53.8.

Scottish utility SSE now expects most of its gas-fired units to remain operational into the mid-2030s, a change from earlier guidance that three large plants would reach end-of-life by the end of this decade, CEO Martin Pibworth said. Many UK gas plants were built in the late 1990s and operators face rising maintenance costs. The shift underscores the challenge of keeping supply reliable as wind and solar expand and the system relies more on intermittent generation; batteries and demand-side response are scaling but remain slower to start than gas. "I expect most of our gas plants to continue running into the mid-2030s because the power system does need that flexibility, but future utilization will fall sharply," Pibworth said.

Germany's chancellor MERZ said if the German government cannot meet the challenges it faces, the consequences for Europe would be incalculable; he vowed to do his utmost to keep the government stable.