After the Federal Government moved away from the hitherto rigorous No to the lifetime extension of nuclear power plants, the Bavarian State Government sees its demands confirmed. He recognizes a “rethinking process” and now assumes that the last word on the matter has not yet been spoken, said Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (FW) on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. The day before, the federal government had theoretically left a door open for the continued operation of nuclear power plants beyond the end of the year.
Background is a new so-called Stress test on security of electricity supply in Germany, which, according to a spokeswoman for the federal government, should be the basis for further decisions. Not ideological, but purely professional, it was said. Germany must “pull out all the stops that serve security of supply,” demanded Aiwanger.
Grundremmingen should be back online, says Aiwanger
The state government not only wants to leave Isar 2 in the Lower Bavarian district of Landshut fully connected to the grid, initially with the existing fuel rods for a few months into 2023, as Aiwanger explained – but the Free State also wants to put the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant in the Swabian district of Günzburg back on the grid; the legal basis for this would have to be laid now.
Above all, both prevent the need for electricity production from gas and would bring massive savings potential in order to fill the gas storage tanks for the winter. CSU and Free Voters still see documented by an expert opinion from TÜV Südthat the further operation of the pile is legally and technically possible without any problems.
The federal government lags behind the real energy policy developments, said Aiwanger, in nuclear power as in other issues, such as the switch in the industry from gas to oil. Too much time has already been wasted. According to the Federal Network Agency in 2019, the nuclear phase-out was only considered possible because there was a “safe gas bridge”. The head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, was involved in the Council of Ministers.
The FDP also wants longer terms
A spokeswoman for Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) announced on Monday that there was a second stress test calculation with more stringent assumptions, such as an even more serious failure of gas supplies. Results can be expected “in the next few weeks”. A first stress test from March to May came to the conclusion that security of supply was guaranteed for the coming winter. “We’ll do the math again and then decide on the basis of clear facts.”
The leader of the Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Britta Hasselmann, promptly added: Nuclear power is a “high-risk technology”, and wanting to use nuclear power to remedy a gas shortage “is and will remain a bogus debate”. The FDP as a partner in the traffic light is for longer terms.
State Chancellery Minister Florian Herrmann (CSU) had already announced on Monday: “Only the facts and reason count.” The renewed rejection by Britta Hasselmann shows “how ideologically this debate is conducted”. From the point of view of the state government, “it would be downright absurd to switch off nuclear power plants that are still running as reliable and efficient sources of energy in the middle of the greatest energy crisis”.
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) warned on Facebook on Tuesday and at an evening event of the Bavarian Business Association the evening before: There should be no discrimination against companies and the population in the Free State, the south is “the economic heart of Germany”. Among other things, the federal government must “finally” conclude contracts with Austria to fill the Haidach gas storage facility. This is “crucial for our energy supply”.
Emergency nail in the neighboring country? Gas storage facility in Haidach in Austria
(Photo: Barbara Gindl/AFP)
This huge gas depot is located in Salzburger Land, and Bavaria also benefits from it and believes that it is prepared in the event of a crisis. However, legal ambiguities create problems when replenishing supplies.
Bavaria likes to play the “interpreter” for Berlin in the matter of Haidach, said Aiwanger, but now the responsible federal government must quickly conclude an agreement with Austria so that the storage tank can really begin to be filled.
The opposition complains of a lack of initiative
At the Bierwang storage facility in the Mühldorf district, storage is currently being withdrawn instead of stored because the operator “wants to cash in”, claimed Aiwanger. Netzagentur boss Müller made it clear at the meeting that he did not like this. But that’s not enough, according to the economics minister: the state must “intervene in a more targeted manner” and take on the “gas management” itself. All in all, Aiwanger believes that the federal government is only proceeding according to the “principle of hope”.
The Economics Minister does not want to get involved in debates about prioritizing who should receive gas in an emergency in the fall and who shouldn’t. The crisis can still be mastered, you shouldn’t “stand ten meters in front of the banana peel and say: damn it, slip again”.
Söder had recently warned against “gas triage”. – a sorting out, as was feared in the Corona crisis for intensive care.
Greens in the state parliament criticize blockades of the CSU
Criticism came after the cabinet meeting from the Greens. Their spokesman on energy policy, Martin Stümpfig, complained that the Free State had not taken any initiatives of its own, and that he only heard blame being laid. “If Hubert Aiwanger and his coalition partner had tackled the energy transition as vigorously as they sing long lamentations today, Bavaria would have half as many worries in terms of energy supply.” For example, the state government blocked power lines and wind power for many years.
Aiwanger, Stümpfig thinks, should submit an expert opinion himself, in which he clearly explains how much gas could be saved by continuing to operate Isar 2 and Gundremmingen.