Status: 12.10.2022 6:30 p.m
In the coalition dispute over the further use of nuclear power, Chancellor Scholz expects a decision “soon”. It’s about clarifying the framework. Economics Minister Habeck warned that time was running out.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that the government will take a quick decision in the dispute over the continued use of nuclear power plants. “You can be sure that we will be done with it shortly,” said the SPD politician at a press conference. “It’s not about somehow that it doesn’t come to that,” he emphasized. Rather, it is about what framework conditions are necessary, what exactly is being done and how quickly it can be done.
The Federal Ministries of Economics and Finance had previously stated that consultations on the issue were ongoing and that there was still a need for clarification. Fundamental questions about the continued operation of German nuclear power plants are disputed between the Greens and the FDP. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to keep the two southern German nuclear power plants ready for use until spring in the event of bottlenecks in the power supply – i.e. beyond the actual shutdown date at the end of this year. The FDP, on the other hand, is pushing for all three remaining nuclear power plants to continue operating until 2024.
Habeck plans blocked
A cabinet decision scheduled for Monday on the draft law, which is intended to secure Habeck’s plan for reserve operations, did not come about because of the dispute in the coalition. If the legal changes do not progress, the German nuclear reactors will have to be shut down on December 31 of this year, as originally planned.
A spokesman for the Federal Environment Ministry confirmed that the ongoing consultations are still about enabling an operational reserve until mid-April 2023 and not about extending the service life of the nuclear reactors. There are therefore currently no plans or tests to purchase new fuel rods, as required by the FDP. From the ministry’s point of view, such a new procurement would be “connected with a multi-year extension of the term,” said the spokesman for the green-led ministry. “In our view, that is out of the question.”
“The time is running out”
Meanwhile, Habeck put pressure on for a quick decision again. “We’re running out of time,” he said. He pointed out that the Bavarian power plant Isar 2 needed maintenance work on a valve so that it could continue to run beyond the end of the year. A leak must be repaired if possible because the fuel elements are so run down that after a certain point in time they are no longer sufficient to restart the nuclear power plant.
When asked whether a word of power from Scholz was necessary in the dispute, Habeck said the Chancellor had an interest in the two southern German power plants being available. “You can have different opinions on nuclear power, that’s perfectly fine,” said Habeck. “But wanting a lot and getting nothing in the end doesn’t seem particularly practical to me.” Under certain assumptions, there could be a problem with grid stability this winter, and the two southern German nuclear power plants are helpful for this. However, it is not the case that all problems have been solved.
Habeck also referred to the coalition agreement. Holding on to the nuclear industry is delaying progress in other areas, he said with a view to expanding renewable energies. It’s about reducing a problem this winter. The situation in winter 2023/2024 will be fundamentally different.