Tuesday, December 28, 2021
CDU fears a supply gap
Habeck: Phasing out nuclear power is no problem for supply
In a few days, three more nuclear power plants in Germany will go offline. The designated CDU boss Friedrich Merz fears that this will lead to a bottleneck in the power supply. Federal Minister of Economics Habeck considers this concern to be unfounded.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck sees the power supply in Germany secured despite the impending shutdown of further nuclear power plants. “The security of supply in Germany is still guaranteed,” said Habeck. The government will show “through the massive expansion of renewable energies and the acceleration of network expansion” that it is possible to align business and industry with climate neutrality.
Germany decided to gradually phase out nuclear power after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan in 2011. By December 31 of this year, three more power plants will be taken off the grid: Brokdorf in Schleswig-Holstein, Gundremmingen C in Bavaria and Grohnde in Lower Saxony. There are then only three batteries left, which should be switched off by the end of next year at the latest.
“The nuclear phase-out makes our country safer and helps to avoid radioactive waste,” stressed Environment Minister Steffi Lemke in a joint statement with Habeck. Germany has been drawing “since 2011 in an orderly, reliable process a line under a highly problematic technology”.
Merz shows sympathy for nuclear power
The secure supply of sustainably generated electricity is a key prerequisite for aligning economy and industry with climate neutrality and thus being able to create sustainable prosperity. Previously, there had been calls to cancel or postpone the shutdown. Most recently, the designated CDU leader Friedrich Merz showed sympathy for nuclear power.
Merz told the editorial network Germany (RND) on Monday that many countries in the world, unlike Germany, have not phased out nuclear energy for safety reasons. He emphasized: “We in Germany can be curious to see how the new federal government will secure our country’s energy supply. Just getting out will not be enough.”