After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, politicians discussed whether Germany should later phase out nuclear and coal-fired power generation. In this way one could become less dependent on gas imports from Russia. That is why the economics ministers of the federal states discussed energy supply at a special conference on Monday. All representatives had made it clear “that we must examine the short term without prohibitions on thinking and taboos,” says North Rhine-Westphalia’s Economics Minister Andreas Pinkwart. The FDP politician is currently chairman of the conference of economics ministers. “I firmly believe that all alternatives must be put on the table.”
After the reactor catastrophe in Fukushima in 2011, Germany decided to gradually phase out nuclear energy; the last three reactors are scheduled to go offline at the end of this year. “This raises the question: Can the shutdown of these nuclear power plants be lifted again at the end of this year?” says Pinkwart. This can only be an ultima ratio, but you have to consider it.
According to its own statements, the Federal Ministry of Economics under Robert Habeck (Greens) is examining the extent to which coal and nuclear power plants could compensate for any supply bottlenecks. “There are no taboos,” said Habeck on Sunday evening. He will not “ideologically ward off” further use of nuclear energy.
However, according to NRW Minister Pinkwart, a preliminary examination showed that it could take a year and a half from a possible decision before nuclear power plants in Germany could actually generate electricity again. In concrete terms, this would mean that the last three nuclear reactors in Germany would go offline at the end of this year – and then not be available again until winter 2023/2024 at the earliest.
The debate about phasing out nuclear energy comes too late for energy suppliers
The operating companies Eon, RWE and EnBW had already stressed that the debate about phasing out nuclear energy was too late. From a purely technical point of view, it would be difficult to quickly procure suitable fuel rods in order to be able to operate nuclear power plants for longer. The necessary specialist staff is also in danger of running out.
Pinkwart also warns that the federal government should check whether it should stick to all the details of the coal phase-out agreed in Germany in summer 2020. For example, the NRW minister refers to several lignite-fired power plant blocks operated by RWE in the Rhineland, which are to be shut down in the course of this year. Germany had decided to phase out climate-damaging coal-fired power generation by 2038 at the latest. The new federal government wants to “ideally” bring this exit forward to 2030, at least that’s what it said before the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
According to its own statements, Germany’s largest lignite-fired electricity producer, RWE, is already examining whether it could reactivate power plant blocks or postpone planned shutdowns. One wants to be able to act “if the federal government deems such measures necessary,” said a spokesman.
Both Pinkwart and RWE nevertheless emphasize that the focus is on the expansion of renewable energies. Because wind and solar power reduces dependence on fossil imports. The deputy chairman of the SPD, Thomas Kutschaty, also replied on Monday: it is crucial that Germany become less dependent on energy imports overall. This can only be achieved with renewable energies. “We mustn’t sit back and say that we’ll generate electricity from coal for longer,” said the head of the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia. “That can’t be the solution.” Instead, the black and yellow state government in North Rhine-Westphalia has hindered the expansion of wind energy for too long, for example with distance rules between wind turbines and housing estates.
The Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) also warns that Germany should become more independent in its energy supply and reduce its “hunger for resources”. “Fossil energies or even nuclear power are not the right answers here,” says BUND boss Antje von Broock.
Germany generated almost 41 percent of its electricity from renewable sources last year, and gas-fired power plants accounted for a good 15 percent. However, so far everyone involved has assumed that gas-fired power plants will initially gain in importance if the phase-out of coal and nuclear power proceeds as planned. But the republic needs gas not only for electricity generation, but also for many heating systems and industrial processes.
To date, more than half of Germany’s gas imports have come from Russia. The federal government announced on Sunday that Germany wants to build two terminals for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the North Sea in order to become more independent from Russia. But such a new building could “take up to five years,” warns Pinkwart.