Cokemaking plants in Germany were run at high capacity utilization rates for a long time due to the very good economic situation and associated high coke demand. It was not until January 2009 that coking plant production cutbacks were forced by the crisis. The output of a coking plant can be reduced by lowering its productivity while keeping the plant in operation, by hot idling of emptied coke ovens, or by shutting down batteries and allowing them to cool down. At the five coking plants in Germany, the first of these options was chosen in order to avoid damage to the batteries. To this end the operators of these five plants met with experts from the plant supplier and refractory industries to share know-how that would ensure safe cutbacks in production while avoiding damage to the ovens. From the findings of these meetings and the operational measures implemented in the coking plants it must be concluded that the output of a coking plant can only be reduced within very narrow limits and not below a minimum level of 70 %.