Lemke defends atomic off
Union struggles with nuclear power plant shutdowns
03/19/2023 6:54 p.m
The countdown to shutting down the last three German nuclear power plants is on. A month before the exit, the Union called the procedure “absurd”. Green Environment Minister Lemke justifies the hard-won decision.
In four weeks the time has come: Then the last three German nuclear power plants will go offline. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke rules out postponing the deadline. “The nuclear phase-out in mid-April will remain,” the Greens politician confirmed to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The parliamentary manager of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei, called the procedure “absurd”. The CDU politician said about the nuclear phase-out in a month: “It’s absurd to shut down the last three nuclear power plants without need and to start burning coal,” he told the Funke newspapers. “The Greens are forcing Germany to go down a special path that is affecting consumers and businesses alike.”
The three remaining German nuclear power plants – Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland – were originally scheduled to go offline at the end of 2022. Because of the energy crisis, the coalition extended the terms until April 15. The Greens and FDP had previously argued bitterly about the right course of action – the conflict was ultimately decided by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Social Democrat relied on his authority to set guidelines.
“Risks of nuclear power unmanageable”
From the FDP there were further demands to at least examine a renewed extension. However, Scholz refused. In an interview in January, when asked whether the reactors would be switched off in the spring, he said: “Yes, definitely”. The legal situation is clear. Lemke countered fears that the security of the energy supply would be endangered by the nuclear phase-out. “In an international comparison, we have a very high level of security of supply,” she told the Funke newspapers. This is “significantly better” than that of neighboring German countries “with the highest proportion of nuclear power,” she emphasized. The German nuclear power plants covered only a small part of the power consumption.
In the long run, “competition and more renewable energies are the best means of stable prices,” Lemke was convinced. “The risks of nuclear power are ultimately unmanageable,” added the minister responsible for nuclear safety.
The question of final disposal of the dangerous nuclear waste is still unresolved in Germany. Lemke called for the construction of a repository for high-level radioactive waste to be accelerated. “The originally specified target of 2031 was not resilient from the start,” she said. Now the actors involved are examining a concrete schedule. “It is clear that it will take longer. It is important to me that we jointly identify and use potential for acceleration.”