Is Germany going back on the nuclear issue? Expansion of the last operational power stations across the Rhine is now being openly considered by the government. A scenario that seemed impossible before the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the energy crisis that began in recent months.
In a full response to the question, the German government said it would make a decision on Monday “in the next few weeks” A possible extension of the last nuclear power plants to be decommissioned at the end of this year. Berlin says it will wait for the decision before making a decision ” Ongoing Stress Test” To know the current conservation status of plants.
A return to nuclear power would mark a dramatic shift in German energy policy, which has halted the rise of nuclear, gas and renewables for a decade. Under the influence of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, former Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to wean her country off this very low-carbon energy source.
The debate has gripped the German political class and coalition
This choice by Angela Merkel in 2011 has long been applauded by environmentalists who are members of Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholes’s government coalition.
But rare outages and an expected shutdown of Russia’s gas supplies in the coming months against the backdrop of sanctions against Russia have left the country facing major energy insecurity as winter approaches. Before the war in Ukraine, Germany imported almost 55% of its gas from Russia.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck, from the ranks of environmentalists, sounded the alarm last month, acknowledging that the country’s energy situation is of unprecedented gravity. ” We are already in a situation where Germany has never been. If Russian gas supplies are as low as they are now, we are running into gas shortages. He explained, admitting that his government is preparing to form “Society’s Toughest Choices”.
On the right, the expansion of nuclear power plants is defended by German conservatives. ” I’m already looking forward to it, you’ll see nuclear power plants being extended at the end of this year. Beat their leader, Friedrich Merz, this weekend. Within the governing coalition, the FDP’s liberals also support this option. ” The life of nuclear power plants should be extended until spring 2024. It is during this period that we risk running out of energy.”Liberal heavyweight Michael Cruz kicked off the build-up on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, the Bundestag’s environment vice president, admitted that in the event of a real emergency, the last fuel rods of nuclear power plants could be used to extend their operating life. A possible option. Even the foreign minister, ecologist Annalena Baerbach, agreed “state of emergency” experienced by Germany “Think of all the solutions.”
This is not the first contradiction in Germany’s ambition to reduce its carbon emissions if it keeps the last of its nuclear power plants in operation. The country has already announced it will use more coal-fired power plants to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.
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Agreement in principle between Belgium and NG to extend 2 reactors
The life of two Belgian nuclear reactors, which will be operated by a joint venture between the Belgian government and French group Engie, is to be extended by ten years, according to an “agreement in principle” jointly announced on Friday. The two sides have been negotiating fiercely over the terms of the extension, announced in March, in the context of curbing dependence on Russian hydrocarbons following the war in Ukraine. They intend to reach a final deal and submit it to the European Commission by the end of the year, Prime Minister Alexandre de Groove and Energy Minister Tinne van der Straaden said in a statement on Friday.
(with AFP)
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