German Economy Minister Robert Habeck today ruled out extending the life of the three remaining nuclear power plants to save gas, arguing that the savings would amount to, at most, 2% of the country’s gas use. . This percentage is not enough to reopen the public debate on ending the use of nuclear energy, given that there is a consensus on this issue, the minister added, speaking to citizens at the German government’s “open house” day.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed through the law to end the use of nuclear power by the end of this year, following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. of fear of an energy crisis in the middle of winter after Russian gas deliveries are reduced. The three-party governing coalition also appears divided on the issue.
“It is a wrong decision (including the extension of the operation of the nuclear facilities), since we will save very little,” explained Habeck, who comes from the Greens, a party with roots in the anti-nuclear movement of the 1970s and 80.
On the other hand, Finance Minister Christian Lindner, of the pro-business Lib Dems, reiterated his position that it would be better to extend the life of nuclear plants for a limited period than to bring combustion power plants back on the grid coal. “We should not be too selective, but open to all possibilities,” he said, adding that he himself, under the current circumstances, would agree to an extension of “several years”.
Habeck said he was open to extending the operation of a nuclear power plant in Bavaria if the stress test showed it was necessary to ensure the stability of the electricity grid in winter. But he accused Bavaria, a state that depends on gas-fired plants and has few coal-fired plants, of possibly contributing to the problem by not building wind farms to improve the grid.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the result of the stress test would be known by the end of August or early September and only then would a final decision be made. He also commented that the situation in France, where almost half of the reactors are out of operation due to corrosion and maintenance problems, showed how problematic this nuclear technology is.
The new installations were so expensive that they drove up electricity prices, unlike renewables, the chancellor said.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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