15 minutes agoScholz decides to leave nuclear power plants at work
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)German Chancellor Olaf Scholz put an end to debates within his three-party coalition and decided that nuclear power plants would stay at work during the winter. Nuclear energy is a tangible political topic in Germany, even because there is a lack of energy. Germany extended the life span of 3 nuclear plants. Chancellor Olaf Scholz made the decision Monday [...]
Nuclear energy is a tangible political topic in Germany, even because there is a lack of energy. Germany extended the life span of 3 nuclear plants. Chancellor Olaf Scholz made the decision Monday that Germany's three remaining nuclear power plants remain in place until April, to avoid a possible energy crisis.
In the centre-left three-party coalition, there has been disagreement over the life expectancy of nuclear plants. But Deputy Cancellari and Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Green Party said Monday that he acknowledged the fact that Scholz had decided without taking the consent of others to the cabinet.
“ambitious country”
The Chancellor has asked the economy, environment and finance ministers to establish the proper legal basis for factories to remain open. “will create legal grounds to allow the operation of nuclear power plants Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland beyond December 31, 2022, until April 15, 2023”, Scholz wrote in a letter to ministers.
Scholz also demanded that ministries submit a “ambious law” to increase energy efficiency, as well as a binding agreement to gradually remove coal by 2030. Germany planned to complete a nuclear power cut by the end of 2022, but the power supply crisis following the Russian gas cuts caused a lengthy debate on keeping nuclear power plants on the alert.
Political Disagreement to Nuclear Power
On Friday, the Greens had agreed to keep reserve until April two nuclear power plants in southern Germany, but by the end of the year, they wanted to close a third thermal power plant in the northwestern Emsland district. Free Democrats (FDP) wanted to extend it by the end of 2024 to keep the three factories open. The “is in the vital interest of our country and its economy so that we can preserve all of our energy production capacities this winter. The Chancellor has now created clarity,”, FDP Finance Minister Christian Linder wrote on Twitter Monday.
The largest German energy company, RWE, said after Scholz's announcement that it will immediately start preparations to extend 2022 operations at its Emsland plant until April. However, Ricardo Lang, co-director of the Greens, criticised Scholz's decision, saying the Emsland nuclear power plant “is not needed for the stability of the” network.
The operator of the Neckarwesthem 2 plant at Baden-Wurttemberg, EnBW, warned that the German government should quickly secure a legal framework for extending nuclear power plant operations, or the plant will be shut down on schedule, at the end of December. E. The Isar 2 operator in the southwestern state of Bravaria had said in September that he would be ready to continue operating after a repair of pressure valves.
German Environment Minister Stef Lemke promised after Scholz's announcement that Germany would pledge to exit nuclear energy by the end of April 2023. “There will be no extensions and new rods”, Greens politician said on Twitter.
The ban on nuclear power production in Germany began in 2000 under the SPD-Gelbrit coalition government, then under the direction of Chancellor Schroeder. The government then closed a number of power plants. Years later, after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Under former conferences Angela Merkel of the conservative CDU, Germany decided to close its remaining nuclear power plants. But the Russian war in Ukraine has forced Germany to keep the remaining power plants at work, beyond the end of 2022, the deadline set for their final closure. Germany had to restructure its power mix because of the blackouts of energy supplies from Russia. / DW
