Germany shut all nuclear reactors in April 2023, ending nuclear power.

Nuclear power supplied about 10% of Germany's electricity before shutdown.

Germany targets 80% wind/solar by 2030, 45% renewable share.

Russian‑Ukrainian war cut gas imports, spiking prices and causing supply gaps.

Germany increased gas imports, LNG, and coal to offset lost nuclear output.

Renewable generation rose, but intermittency led to temporary coal and gas use.

2023 electricity prices rose 160% above 2019 levels.

High gas costs caused chemical and fertilizer production to fall.

CDU/CSU and FDP proposed extending nuclear lifetimes to offset gas cuts.

Green Party and environmental groups opposed any nuclear revival.

Polls show 61-67% of Germans support extending nuclear plants.

No major industry sector formally demanded reactors be restarted.

EU Commission considered postponing gradual nuclear phase‑out.

EU summit pledged to increase nuclear capacity, including small modular reactors.

Germany’s nuclear phase‑out was part of its carbon‑neutral strategy.

Fukushima accelerated Germany’s nuclear exit.

Germany’s energy market shifted to renewables, temporary coal, gas, and imports.

Energy market faced supply gaps and price volatility after nuclear shutdown.

EU electricity prices rose 30% in February 2022 due to war.

Winter renewable output dropped, leading to higher coal and gas use.

Germany shut all nuclear reactors in April 2023, ending nuclear power.

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Content: Consulting firm: Germany could face energy shortage by 2025
World News
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A study by consulting firm McKinsey in Germany has revealed that the country could face an electricity shortage by 2025, estimated at around 4 gigawatts.
The Welt am Sonntag, citing the study, noted that “electricity consumption is increasing, but reliable power plants are being phased out.
Therefore, Germany will soon not be able to cover peak loads on its own. ”
According to consultancy McKinsey, Germany will soon be unable to meet its electricity demand from its own resources during peak periods, and a supply outage in 2030 will occur nearly 100 times in total, the longest phase can last about 21 hours.
"According to these calculations, already in 2025 there is a risk of a power supply deficit of 4 GW, which will rise to 30 GW by 2030," the report says, explaining that the capacity of 30 GW corresponds to about 30 large thermal power plants.
Earlier, the German Federal Grid Agency released on the security of the country ’ s electricity supply, which was approved by the cabinet at the end of January, and the report says that the electricity supply will remain reliable despite the phase-out of nuclear power and coal.
Germany was originally planned to give up nuclear power at the beginning of last year 2022, and three of the country ’ s last six nuclear power plants have already been shut down.
In November, the Bundestag agreed to continue operating Germany ’ s three nuclear power plants Isar-2, Neckarwestheim-2 and Emsland until April 15, 2023.
On 9 February, the head of the administration of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Grigi Goyash, declared that Europe was the biggest loser of the Ukrainian crisis, with European countries paying ten times more for energy resources than the United States.
Source: Novosti
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Content: Alert
The hot and cold reaction of the competition was obvious when Su Zhenchang and Lai Qingde helped the platform Chen
Why do many countries decide to reinvest in nuclear power?
【 Li Shulian / Editorial Department of North American Intellectual Property News 】
Recently, a number of countries that originally supported the decommissioning of nuclear plants have turned around and announced that they will extend the operation of their domestic nuclear plants. Not only that, but they will also invest tens of billions of dollars to create more large and small nuclear reactors.
That ’ s all because nuclear energy can effectively solve two of the world ’ s biggest crises: energy and climate change.
The energy crisis and climate change can be said to bring a breakthrough development opportunity for nuclear energy, the former to pursue energy diversity, the latter to pursue net zero emissions, and known as the best efficiency of green energy of nuclear energy of course become one of the mandatory items when formulating energy policies in many countries.
However, these major powers, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and South Korea, have frozen their investment in nuclear power plants due to public doubts about nuclear safety caused by the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant earthquake, so that the relevant technology to build nuclear power plants has been surpassed by Russia and China.
However, this has not hindered the determination of many countries to restart nuclear power, on the road to a nuclear-free homeland, should the Chinese government also stop, look, listen?
Energy security concerns and recent spikes in energy prices, especially after Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine, highlight the importance of a diverse mix of non-petrochemical and domestic energy sources.
Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated an already tense global fuel market and continues to push up electricity prices.
According to the European Union ’ s Energy Regulatory Cooperation Agency (ACER), retail electricity prices have increased by an average of 30% year-on-year in February 2022, with the biggest price increases in regions where electricity generation is heavily dependent on natural gas, such as Madrid by 55% and Rome by 80%.
On the other hand, over the past few years, the number of countries pursuing Net Zero Emissions (NZE) has increased, with more than 70 countries covering 76% of the world ’ s energy-related CO2 emissions committing to net zero by 2022; more than 10 times more in four years, compared with only six countries committing to net zero at the end of 2018.
As countries move towards a net-zero future, renewable energy, especially wind and solar photovoltaics, is often seen as the largest source of electricity.
At the same time, however, a growing number of countries have announced their support for new nuclear power plant investment plans.
In February 2022, France announced plans to build six new large reactors starting in 2028 at a cost of around €50 billion, with an additional eight to be built by 2050, while committing €1 billion to develop innovative reactors, including small modular reactors by 2030.
China plans to continue its current pace of nuclear reactor construction in order to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2060.
South Korea ’ s new president, Yoon Seok Hyuk, has also made an election pledge to reverse South Korea ’ s nuclear phase-out policy by supporting the extension and reactivation of existing nuclear facilities at two sites, while seeking to build 10 nuclear plants overseas using South Korean technology by 2030.
Table 1.
Major Nuclear Energy Developments by Country in 2020-2022
Without nuclear energy, it would be difficult for the world to achieve net-zero emissions.
The deployment of nuclear energy has increased the diversity of the energy mix, which in addition to promoting the rise of variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, can greatly reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
In the 10 years since the first oil crisis, nearly 170 GW of nuclear power plants began construction; these plants still account for 40% of the nuclear capacity in operation today.
Many of the reasons why governments are restarting nuclear power today are also affected by the energy crisis.
On the other hand, as a mature large-scale low-emission energy source, nuclear energy can effectively help decarbonize the electricity supply.
In the International Energy Agency ’ s (IEA) net-zero 2050 setting, emissions from the energy sector are expected to fall by about 40% from 2020 to 2030, before falling back to net-zero in 2050.
This narrow but achievable path requires immediate and rigorous policy action by governments around the world to reshape energy systems in many ways.
In reality, extending the service life of a nuclear power plant is the most cost-effective and integral part of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Despite the fact that renewable energy already dominates nearly 90% of the net zero-emission energy supply, nuclear energy still plays an important role.
Today, around 260 GW (63%) of nuclear power plants worldwide have been in use for more than 30 years and are nearing the end of their initial operating license.
Nuclear power plants that have extended their service in the past three years account for about 10% of the world ’ s nuclear power plants. By 2030, the number of nuclear power plants operating in developed economies could shrink by a third.
More than half of the nuclear power plants are now able to extend their service lives for net-zero emissions, reducing the need for other low-emission options by nearly 200 GW.
By 2030, the capital cost of most extended nuclear power plants will be around $500 to $1,100 per kilowatt (kW), which is extremely competitive compared to solar and wind in most regions.
Nuclear power plays an important role in the path to net-zero emissions.
Nuclear power will double from 413 GW at the beginning of 2022 to 812 GW by 2050 in the net-zero emissions journey; and 27 GW per year between now and 2030.
If countries do not consider the extension of nuclear power plants or the construction of new nuclear power plants, the share of nuclear power in total generation will fall from 10% in 2020 to 3% in 2050, so that solar and wind energy need to fill this gap, not only need higher capital investment, but also increase the uncertainty of energy supply.
If a country like Taiwan has congenital restrictions on developing renewable energy, it needs to be filled with low-carbon energy sources such as natural gas, and the cost is even more substantial.
The contribution of nuclear energy to safe and low-emission power systems is not valued
IEA data show that nuclear power currently operates in 32 countries with a capacity of 413 GW, which could reduce global CO2 emissions by 1.5 gigatons (gigatons) and 180 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas demand annually.
While wind and solar are leaders in alternative fossil fuels, they also need to be complemented by scalable resources; as the second largest source of low-emission power after hydropower, nuclear power with scalable and growth potential has become an option for many countries.
However, the current power market design fails to fully reflect the two major benefits of nuclear power.
First, nuclear power is a scalable resource that avoids costly economic and social harm from power outages when the average power supply system load approaches the level of available supply capacity.
In addition, nuclear power is low-emission green energy, but most electricity markets do not reward the low-carbon nature of nuclear power. While many countries support clean energy production, such as production and investment tax credits and subsidized electricity prices, nuclear power is excluded from subsidies or other subsidy mechanisms available for wind and solar.
The Fukushima nuclear disaster can be avoided, and it is not advisable to waste food because of choking.
Some countries have ruled out nuclear energy in the green energy option, mainly due to concerns about safety and nuclear waste management, and these countries have decided to phase out nuclear power mainly due to public safety concerns.
In the wake of the Three Mile Island nuclear leak, the failure of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, and three major accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, public support for nuclear power in many countries has weakened significantly.
Countries that retain and continue to develop nuclear energy also strongly demand higher safety standards at their nuclear plants.
The 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant prompted countries to reassess and strengthen nuclear safety and emergency preparedness. Many countries have conducted safety inspections or pressure tests on existing reactors, and have required some types of reactors to undergo safety modifications.
These considerations have also led some countries to adjust their nuclear power use plans.
Germany, for example, has built 36 nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 30 GW, which accelerated the phase-out of all of them in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. Most of the reactors have now been shut down, and the three reactors still in operation will be closed by the end of 2022.
Other European countries, such as Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, have also announced phasing out or not renewing their nuclear plants.
In Japan, many of the nuclear plants that were shut down after the Fukushima accident have not yet been restarted, and the share of nuclear power generation has fallen from a high of 35% in 2002 to about 5% today.
The Fukushima accident raised global concerns about the risks and potential costs of a nuclear disaster, leading to the decision to idle or shut down other reactors and increase thermal power generation, resulting in higher import costs for fossil fuels.
However, in response to the Fukushima disaster, the official investigation concluded that the accident should have been foreseen and prevented. [1]
The Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Nuclear Disaster has confirmed that the structure of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant cannot withstand the impact of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
On the other hand, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was not prepared for a serious accident; in fact, both Tepco and the regulatory authorities were aware of the risks posed by such natural disasters, but neither took any precautions.
The Commission noted that the structure of Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant could not withstand the strong earthquakes and tsunamis caused by 311, and that the specifications of the plant lacked sufficient seismic and tsunami strength because (1) the guidelines for the construction of Units 1 to 3 of the plant were from the late 1960s, so the guidelines for the construction were inadequate, and (2) the area around the plant was considered to be seismic activity. The smallest, never even experienced earthquake damage.
Based on this assessment, the safe tolerance level for the maximum seismic acceleration in the seismic design is set at 265 Gal, [2] with very low seismic resistance.
In addition, the lack of countermeasures to cope with the tsunami is also one of the causes of the nuclear disaster.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was built in 1967, based on seismological knowledge at the time and the possibility of core damage in such a tsunami situation. However, the early seismological knowledge was far from adequate for the emergency that occurred on 311 in 2011.
Stop, Look and Listen on the Road to a Non-Nuclear Home
As the development of renewable energy failed to meet the target, China's original 2025 renewable energy accounted for 20% of the target has been determined to be postponed to October 2026, proof that the policy should be adjusted according to the actual situation; the same, on the road to non-nuclear homes, the government should stop, look, listen, and not ignore the actual situation has been moving forward.
The general public, too, should learn more about nuclear and renewable energy to make informed decisions.
Stop: Since the Russo-Ukrainian War, the world situation has changed rapidly, seriously affecting the supply of raw materials and prices, and policymakers should stop and rethink.
Look: Reviewing established energy policies, especially the bottleneck in the development of renewable energy, is a major obstacle to the pursuit of net zero emissions, and seeing the goal of 60 to 70% of total electricity generation by 2050 is almost impossible, should we see how other countries respond and make early adjustments?
Listen: Please listen to the suggestions and advice of the business community, the business community representatives unanimously believe that the government's national energy policy must be reviewed, in the energy structure should not exclude nuclear energy, even if the four nuclear power, at least to consider a new generation of nuclear energy, will be listed as an option.
[3] Has the government listened?
[This article is not finished, please see the full content of "North American intellectual rights" 317: "energy series report" why many countries decided to re-nuclear arms?
* If you would like to reprint this article, please contact the North American Intellectual Property Journal
[For details, please refer to North American Intellectual Property Journal No. 317; welcome to subscribe to North American Intellectual Property Journal e-newsletter.]
Reference Materials:
Nuclear Power and Secure Energy Transitions, International Energy Agency, IEA Publications, June 2022
The official report of The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, The National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, 2012.
Remarks:
1.
The official report of The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, The National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, 2012.
2.
Gal is a unit of acceleration.
3.
Taiwan ’ s energy structure business sector: options for a new generation of nuclear energy, Business Times Tam Shu-chen 2022.06.26
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Why do many countries decide to reinvest in nuclear power?
Recently, a number of countries that originally supported the decommissioning of nuclear plants have turned around and announced that they will extend the operation of their domestic nuclear plants. Not only that, but they will also invest tens of billions of dollars to create more large and small nuclear reactors.
That ’ s all because nuclear energy can effectively solve two of the world ’ s biggest crises: energy and climate change.
The energy crisis and climate change can be said to bring a breakthrough development opportunity for nuclear energy, the former to pursue energy diversity, the latter to pursue net zero emissions, and known as the best efficiency of green energy of nuclear energy of course become one of the mandatory items when formulating energy policies in many countries.
However, these major powers, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and South Korea, have frozen their investment in nuclear power plants due to public doubts about nuclear safety caused by the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant earthquake, so that the relevant technology to build nuclear power plants has been surpassed by Russia and China.
However, this has not hindered the determination of many countries to restart nuclear power, on the road to a nuclear-free homeland, should the Chinese government also stop, look, listen?
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Content: “There is no excuse for the rich West to be oblivious to the global debt crisis. ” – The Guardian
We start with an opinion piece by Larry Elliott, the Guardian ’ s economic editor, entitled “The wealthy West has little excuse for finally waking up to the global debt crisis. ”
“After a decade or more of their obsession with their own problems, countries in the wealthy West have begun to pay attention to the threat of a looming debt crisis in the poorer parts of the world, ” he says at a meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington this week.
The good news is that debt has risen to the highest level on the policy agenda and is seen as a problem that needs to be regulated, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said about the need for distressed countries to help: “Help them deal with the debt burden, which has made the shocks of past years more difficult; and help ensure that the IMF can continue to support them in the years to come. ”
The bad news, according to Elliott, is that Georgieva ’ s appeal has not yet been heeded, as rich countries are still primarily interested in their own problems.
The geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China is also not helping.
Creditor countries may wake up to the idea that there is a debt problem but it is far from a solution.
Talk is not like work. ”
Achim Steiner, director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said: “There are more than 50 countries on his radar that can default very quickly. ”
Steiner believes that the UN has no chance of meeting its ambitious 2030 development goals, unless there is urgent action.
The volume of lending by the private sector has made attempts to restructure or write off debt more complex than in the past.
At the time of the HIPC initiative, creditors tended to be either individual governments or multilateral organizations such as the World Bank.
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“But since the global financial crisis, many countries, especially middle-income countries, have borrowed heavily in financial markets, taking advantage of very low interest rates to finance domestic projects. ”
After the setback of the COVID-19 epidemic, low- and middle-income countries have since been hit by two other undesirable shocks: the war in Ukraine, which led to higher food and fuel prices, and the sharp increase in central bank interest rates in large Western economies.
The result is that debt servicing has become much more expensive, with many countries now frozen out of financial markets altogether.
Steiner said: "The issue is not financial but political.
The United States has mobilized $400 billion to secure Silicon Valley Bank deposits.
This is more than the developing world has received in three years.
It took the Swiss government less than 48 hours to find 100 billion Swiss francs to secure the rescue of one of its banks.
“The lesson of the recent banking crises is clear.
Rich countries can act fast enough when they want to, ” the writer concludes.
Fears of Macron ’ s politics
We turn to another Financial Times opinion piece by Alain Beatty, a trade writer, entitled “The Risks of Emmanuel Macron ’ s Strategic Insistence. ”
Macron ’ s focus on keeping a distance from both Washington and Beijing in pursuit of the EU ’ s vague “strategic autonomy ” is not an innovation among European policymakers, but geopolitical Europe enthusiasts need to recognize that the lack of unity and trust within the EU, rather than the sinister manipulation by Washington and Beijing, is the main obstacle.
“We ’ ve already seen this happen in trade policy, which is one area where the EU has long had the ability to act collectively.
In the same way that there is nothing stopping European governments from increasing military spending and playing a greater geopolitical role, the bloc can certainly increase its ability to use trade to project its strategic influence.
But while France has been keen to create new tools for intervening in trade and investment, other member states recognize that the views and interests of Paris are not necessarily those of the bloc as a whole.
“In recent years, the European Commission has carefully designed a range of trade instruments to confirm the bloc ’ s geo-economic weight.
The most politically salient is the anti-coercion tool ECI, which will allow the EU to use a wide range of trade and investment measures to retaliate against the bullying of trading partners.
France has strongly supported all this activity, and has also called for the creation of new EU central funds to pursue industrial policy.
“But the Commission will struggle to use this set of tools if there is opposition from other member states that are mindful of their export interests or distrust in using trade tools to manage a centralized strategic policy.
A few days before Macron ’ s trip, the Commission succumbed to pressure from some EU governments, including Germany, and gave member states a major role in determining the use of ECI.
Berlin instinctively avoids confrontation that could damage German exports and investments abroad.
There have also been more principled objections from liberal member states including Sweden and the Czech Republic, sceptical of attempts to politicize trade policy and the likelihood that it will be overly influenced by certain governments.
Macron inadvertently contributed to these concerns, especially as he unnerved some other EU governments two years ago with a clear orientation toward a major investment deal with China, “leaving a legacy of caution. ”
“Attempting to push a union with divergent views to adopt a single approach to a specific global issue is unlikely to produce long-term results. ”
German split on energy policy
We remain with an article by Laura Bettel, the Financial Times correspondent in Berlin, entitled “Germany is being torn apart by energy policy with the closure of nuclear plants. ”
Bethel said Germany ’ s last remaining nuclear power plants were shut down on Saturday, “marking a watershed moment in a country that has long had deep doubts about atomic energy. ”
Anti-nuclear activists hailed the shutdown of three reactors as a victory after a temporary delay following the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war that forced Berlin to look for alternatives to Russian gas.
Critics see the shutdown as an act of madness at a time when Europe ’ s energy supply remains precarious and the world is struggling to stop using fossil fuels.
After decades of anti-nuclear protests, the decisive moment came in 2011 when Chancellor Angela Merkel reversed an earlier decision to extend the life of the country ’ s nuclear plants until 2036, bringing the phase-out date to 2022.
The anti-nuclear movement in former West Germany dates back to the 1970s, when a popular campaign succeeded in stopping the construction of a nuclear power plant in the southwestern village of Weil.
The nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island in the United States in 1979 and at Chernobyl in 1986 fuelled that movement.
But German public opinion shifted after the Russo-Ukrainian War: an August 2022 poll from Der Spiegel found that 67 percent of Germans supported a five-year extension of the country ’ s nuclear plants.
41% supported the construction of new plants.
In a similar poll three decades ago, only 3% said yes.
But the German Green Party, now part of the three-way coalition government led by Olaf Schulz, only agreed to postpone the shutdown for a few months to fill any gap caused by the winter energy crisis.
“The way in which Germany has chosen to phase out nuclear power, and step back from fossil fuels as a bridging gap even as renewables increase dramatically, has been highly controversial. ”

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Content: In early 2023, Germany shut down its last nuclear power plants, so this winter will be Germany ’ s first “nuclear-free winter ”. Despite the German government ’ s vow to modernize its energy system and develop renewable energy, Germany ’ s fossil fuel consumption is higher and its power system is dirtier.
Commenting on Germany ’ s electricity problem, Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire wrote that the country ’ s electricity problem began with a gradual decline in the share of nuclear power in Germany ’ s power generation structure. In 2014, the contribution of nuclear power to Germany ’ s total electricity supply fell by only 6% in 2022, and finally dropped to zero after the last eight reactor outages in 2023.
According to the think tank Ember, Germany's last eight nuclear reactors generated about 8.1 gigawatts (8,000 megawatts) of electricity, a gap that was filled by solar and wind capacity.
It seems to be okay.
However, as solar power (Germany ’ s second largest clean power after wind) suffers from reduced sunlight this year, power generation will fall sharply this winter, and the total amount of clean electricity in Germany will also decline, but winter has always been Europe ’ s peak electricity consumption (heating demand), so German power producers are forced to increase the amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. of emissions.
According to the data, in the first nine months of 2023, Germany ’ s total electricity generation fell compared to last year, including clean electricity and fossil energy power; clean electricity fell by 5.6% compared to the same period in 2022, and fossil fuel power generation fell by 21%.
In other words, this year has been the most electricity efficient year in Germany since 2017.
But don ’ t think that ’ s a good thing, because Germany ’ s industrial electricity demand has fallen this year, and the economy has certainly followed suit.
Why is that so?
Data from the London Stock Exchange shows that the high price of electricity in Germany is a key factor. Compared to 2019, the price of electricity in Germany is 160% higher this year, although it is much better than the highest price last year (electricity prices soared last year due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, this year has fallen), but the German industry is still unwilling to pay.
According to data from the London Stock Exchange (LSEG), German chemical and fertilizer production (previously produced using abundant and cheap natural gas) has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade in 2023 as producers cut production.
Production of cars, steel, batteries and turbines has also been cut, causing Germany, Europe ’ s largest economy, to experience a rare export slump this year.
In order to support the German industrial recovery, the German government asked the power companies to suppress the cost of electricity, and actively increase the production of cheap renewable energy, did get some results, but after entering the autumn, the sunshine time reduced, Germany September to December's total solar power, must be more than 80% lower than the peak.
Since solar power has accounted for more than 20% of Germany ’ s total electricity generation each month in the past five months, such a serious decline in clean power production will inevitably lead to a tight overall electricity supply; in order to make up for the shortage of solar power, Germany can only maximize the use of wind power, wind power production in Germany will increase in winter.
In order to supplement the intermittent problem of wind power and ensure that the total generation of electricity rises as demand grows, power companies have to increase the generation of coal and gas, which can be controlled by power plants to balance the needs of the national electricity market.
Speaking of which, it is clear that Germany will have to rely more on fossil fuels to generate electricity, and its carbon emissions will inevitably increase.
In order to determine its ideal of a non-nuclear homeland, Germany has caused more pollution, and the cost of electricity is still high, which has hit the German industry.
In August of this year, economists criticized "Germany's economic recession is already the sick man of Europe", which is all related to the abandonment of nuclear power.
German power mix may get dirtier for 1st non-nuclear winter
# Germany # Electricity # Dirty # Carbon # Solar

Title:

Content: Green hydrogen
Germany and the European Union have made progress in their hydrogen talks.
Europe – Germany ’ s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, said recent progress has been made in talks with the European Commission on hydrogen subsidies.
But the European Commission has not yet approved these subsidies, the EU said, and the aim of the talks is to develop "safeguards (...) to comply with European legislation on national and energy assistance".
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Hydrogen energy storage solution is the ideal interconnection medium to promote the clean and efficient use of traditional fossil energy and support the large-scale development of renewable energy. It is the best choice for large-scale deep decarbonization in transportation, industry and construction.
Germany has the second largest installed offshore wind power capacity in the world (7.7 GW in Germany at the end of 2019) and aims to install 15 to 20 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
Germany is phasing out nuclear power by 2022 and coal-fired power by 2038, and is committed to the development of renewable energy, striving to increase the proportion of renewable energy in Germany's power generation structure to 65% by 2030.
Since the implementation of the nuclear policy, Germany's nuclear technology and nuclear industry have declined, and Germany has bet its future on the green hydrogen industry.
As with the development of renewable energy and the gradual realization of electrification, green hydrogen is a key component of the complete realization of a zero-carbon energy system.
Because in many transportation fields, such as aviation, shipping and heavy vehicles, it is not possible to directly use electricity for fuel substitution; some industrial processes also cannot directly use electricity, requiring hydrogen as a fuel raw material or for high-temperature operations.
Improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy are prerequisites for this transformation process.
Since renewable energy already provides most of Germany ’ s electricity, and Germany has made progress in the electrification of transportation and industry, renewable electricity hydrogen production is the next logical step in achieving carbon neutrality. Given these conditions, green hydrogen provides further avenues of understanding for the transportation, storage and trading of renewable electricity; it allows the region ’ s renewable energy potential to be released and utilized on a global scale.
Der Spiegel reported in July that Germany wants subsidies for future power plants to be integrated into the EU ’ s decarbonisation plan, which would ensure faster approvals and more financial aid.
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Content: Everything that changes in Germany in 2023

The Local - [email protected] • 28 Dec, 2022 Updated Wed 28 Dec 2022 16:17 CEST

From large tax cuts to better cope with rising inflation to new benefits for employees, there are a slew of changes coming as we enter 2023 on Sunday. Here are the top ones, and how they affect people in Germany.

Taxes and benefits changes

With Germany’s federal government now in its second year in office, 2023 will see the rollout of many campaign promises all three parties made on taxes and benefits—as well as additional measures to help mitigate rocketing inflation.

Some are designed to transfer more money to the recipients through various benefits, while others allow you to keep more of your earnings in the first place.

Basic tax-free allowance to increase

The Grundfreibetrag – or “basic allowance” – refers to how much money you can make in a year before being subject to tax. With steady increases over the last few years, the first €10,347 a person made in Germany in 2022 was subject to no tax at all, with the money made on top of that being taxable. In 2023, that number will increase by €561 to €10,908.

Higher income threshold before entering top tax rates

Currently, earning €58,597 annually puts you into the high income tax bracket. Any earnings over this threshold are subject to the top tax rate of 42 percent. Starting next year, the threshold of what someone in Germany has to earn before paying a 42 percent rate increases by more than €3,000 to €61,972 annually. This measure is designed to help avoid what's known as 'cold progression', where pay rises are eaten up by inflation but people are still taxed on their extra earnings. However, this won't affect the special tax rate for the very wealthy. That threshold starts at €277,836 annually and will remain the same.

Home Office tax credit to go up

Currently, you can claim up to €600 a year in tax credits for working at home, with €5 allocated per day you work at home up to the maximum. This is meant to offset certain costs, such as heating, that can go up because you’re at home more. In 2023, this amount will increase to €6 a day up to 210 days, meaning people can write off up to €1,260 a year, according to Germany's Finance Ministry.

Germany's traffic light coalition will roll out several new tax measures in 2023 - designed to allow people to keep more of the money they earn. Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Automatic expense deductions to go up

The lump sum for income-related expenses - known in German as the Arbeitnehmer-Pauschale - will be increased to €1,230 as of January 1st. This is the amount of expenses that tax offices automatically deduct from employees' earnings when they fill in a tax return, meaning receipts aren't required for things like office supplies and travel costs up to this amount. January will mark the second time this lump sum has been raised in the past year: it was raised retrospectively from €1,000 to €1,200 for 2022 as part of the first relief package.

Pension contributions to become tax-deductible, but health insurance contributions to rise

Starting in 2023, money you pay into your pension will be completely tax deductible, reducing your overall tax burden.

But it's not all good news. Many of Germany’s public health insurance funds – put under strain due to the pandemic’s costs – are upping their so-called additional health insurance contributions (or 'premiums') from next year. Previously, statutory health insurers were only allowed to charge an additional 1.3 percent on top of the basic contribution of 14.6 percent of income. From next year, that figure will increase to 1.6 percent - and it seems that many insurers are keen to take advantage of the new freedom to hike their fees.

READ ALSO:

“Midi” Jobbers to get some tax relief

In Germany, jobs where someone earns between €525 and €1600 per month are called “midi-jobs.” In midi-jobs, the worker doesn’t make quite enough to be subject to full tax obligations - or social insurance protections - under German labour law. Instead, midi-jobbers make health and social insurance contributions on a sliding scale, meaning they pay less tax. As of January 1st, the midi-job limit will increase from €1,600 to €2,000 per month, allowing more people to save on contributions.

READ ALSO: The rules in Germany around ‘mini’ and ‘midi-jobs’

Bürgergeld (or 'Citizen’s Allowance') comes into force

In political win for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling Social Democrats, the new Bürgergeld benefits replace the old Hartz IV long-term unemployment insurance schemes. People receiving it will get an allowance for further training, aimed at allowing them to pursue higher-paying and more sustainable work. Benefits are also going up by more than €50 to €500 per month, while up to €40,000 in assets from benefit claimants will be protected for a year under the scheme.

READ ALSO: Germany reaches agreement on Bürgergeld – with a couple of catches

Tax-free bonuses to employees

Starting in 2023, employers will be able to pay their employees up to €3,000 in tax-free bonuses in the coming years to cushion high inflation. No income tax will be payable on such bonuses until the end of 2024. However, it remains to be seen how many employers will make use of the option and actually pay out the optional extra income.

Housing allowance to go up

Housing allowance – or Wohngeld – is available to low-income households in Germany, particularly pensioners with low monthly stipends or people working minimum wage jobs. It’s designed to help these households pay rent or utility costs.

Some may also be eligible for extra heating subsidies over this winter. At the moment, it can be complicated to determine is someone is eligible, but the government wants to expand the scope of the support to include an estimated two million people - up from the current 600,000. They also want to adjust the amount people receive to the new realities of the energy market.

The average household on Wohngeld currently receives a supplementary €177 per month. The government plans to substantially increase this to €370 per month starting on January 1st.

A view of Stuttgart. Housing is getting more expensive in Germany, particularly in cities. Housing allowance will see a big increase in 2023. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat

READ ALSO: Wohngeld: How many people in Germany can get help with rising living costs

Child allowances to be extended

Germany’s child benefits, which see parents receive money for each child they have to help pay the costs of supporting them, are getting an overhaul. Families currently receive €219 per child for the first two children, €225 for the third one and €250 for any more than that. As of January 1st, families will get €237 for the first three children, with €250 per additional child going to anyone with a larger family.

READ ALSO: What benefits are you entitled to if you have children in Germany?

New laws and regulations

From better protection of employees to trying to minimise plastic waste, there are also several new pieces of legislation coming into effect on January 1st.

Electronic sick note

Starting on January 1st, employers will be required to accept electronic sick notes. Employees who fall ill, and who have statutory insurance, will then no longer have to submit a paper certificate of incapacity for work (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) to their employer, but will receive a printout for their records.

Last nuclear power plants to be taken off the grid

In mid-April, the last German nuclear power plants will be taken off the grid. The Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland power plants should have been shut down at the turn of the year as part of the nuclear phase-out, but their operating lives were extended to help Germany cope with the energy crisis.

The nuclear power plant in Gundremmingen, Swabia, stopped operating on December 31st 2021 as part of Germany's nuclear phase-out. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Stefan Puchner

Tobacco tax increasing

In order to "continue to ensure the health policy steering effect," the Federal Ministry of Finance is gradually increasing the tax on tobacco. Between 2022 and 2026, the price of a pack of cigarettes (20 pieces) will rise by an average of eight cents per year. The pack of fine-cut tobacco (Feinschnitt) and the minimum tax for cigars/cigarillos and pipe tobacco will also be adjusted.

No more compulsory vaccination for nursing staff

The compulsory vaccination for employees in hospitals and nursing homes, which has been in effect since March, is set to be abolished on January 1st. The reason is that the currently dominant Covid variants are better able to evade the immune response of people who have been vaccinated or have recovered than previous ones.

More and more experts consider the Covid pandemic to now be endemic - including top virologist Christian Drosten.

READ ALSO: Calls to end Covid measures as top virologist deems pandemic 'over'

Changes for cars and trucks

Buyers of plug-in hybrid vehicles will no longer receive federal subsidies from 2023. In addition, the premiums for purely electric vehicles will decrease. As of September 1st, subsidies will be limited to private individuals.

The lorry toll on Germany's trunk roads will also be raised in 2023, in order to take greater account of the costs of noise pollution and air pollution.

A highway full of cars and Lkws. (Photo by Matthias Balk / dpa / AFP) / Germany OUT

CO2 tax on heating to be split

From January, landlords will in many cases have to contribute to their tenants' climate levy for heating. The so-called CO2 tax is divided between tenant and landlord according to a graduated model. The less climate-friendly the house, the more the landlord must pay. Until now, tenants have had to shoulder the entire cost of the levy, which is supposed to help reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions.

New mandatory reusable packaging

Another overarching change is the mandatory re-usability for delivery services, catering services and restaurants. From January 1st, delivery and catering services, as well as restaurants and cafes (including those situated in supermarkets), will be required to offer reusable containers in addition to single-use packaging for takeaway food and drink.

Small businesses with a maximum of five employees and a sales area of up to 80 square meters are exempt from this rule. However, they should point out to their customers that the food they have ordered can also be filled using their own containers.

Better tracing of supply chains

International supply chains are increasingly in the focus of human rights activists. Under the new Supply Chain Act, companies will be obliged to pay more attention to where their goods actually come from and the working conditions of the people who produce them. The act applies to companies with more than 3,000 employees, and obliges companies to react to human rights abuses carried out by their suppliers.

Aid organisations and trade unions will be given the opportunity to represent those affected by violations before German courts.

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Title:

Content: In a stark revelation, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) has outlined the severe challenges faced by the global nuclear power sector in recent years. The report, covering developments up to mid-2023, highlights a significant decline in nuclear production, with its share dropping to the lowest point in four decades. This decline is attributed to a combination of factors including national policy shifts, economic pressures and the rapid growth of renewable energy alternatives.

Global nuclear production and generation reaches new low

The WNISR points out that global nuclear power generation experienced a notable 4% decline, reaching a level not seen since the mid-1990s. Outside of China, the decrease was even more pronounced, at 5%, taking the global nuclear energy share of commercial gross electricity generation in 2022 down to 9.2%. This marks the most substantial drop since the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in 2012 and a record low in the past four decades. It is noteworthy that this share is now little more than half of its peak of 17.5% in 1996.

Several major nuclear-producing nations faced significant challenges in 2022 and mid-2023, contributing to the overall hit on the global nuclear landscape.

The US saw its nuclear share of commercial electricity generation drop to 18.2%, the lowest level in 25 years. France experienced a drop in nuclear generation below its 1990 level, turning into a net importer of electricity for the first time since 1980. However, the country seems motivated to rectify the situation, recently leading a group of 20 countries in declaring to “triple nuclear energy capacity from 2020 by 2050” at COP28 in Dubai.

Belgium witnessed the closure of two reactors, in September 2022 and January 2023, with three more slated for closure by 2025. Germany saw the closure of its last three operating reactors on 15 April 2023, completing the phase-out policy initiated in 2011.

The report notes that the number of closed power reactors reached 212 units as of mid-2023, with 22 fully decommissioned and 11 released from regulatory control. With this, the report indicates that 407 reactors with a total capacity of 365GW were operational worldwide – a decrease of four reactors compared with the previous year and 31 units below the peak observed in 2002.

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Economic challenges and renewable competition

Nuclear power faces increasing economic challenges, with Lazard modelling indicating that, at discount rates over 5.4%, it becomes the most expensive generator in terms of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

National developments of major nuclear-producing countries reflect this reality. The report highlights massive subsidies in the US, with state-level taxpayer-funded subsidies estimated to exceed $15bn by 2030. The UK, now operating only nine nuclear units, has seen cost estimates for the two Hinkley Point C reactors soar to $44bn (£34.98bn) and grid connection delayed until June 2027. South Korea’s state-owned utility, KEPCO, recently faced a record loss of $25bn (33.01trn won), with a 32% rise in net debt to an unprecedented $149bn.

The report also underscores the underestimated hidden costs associated with nuclear power, including decommissioning expenses and liabilities for accidents. Decommissioning costs in Germany, Italy and Lithuania, all nuclear phase-out countries, were estimated to be orders of magnitude higher than international estimates. Meanwhile, the Japanese Government estimated the cost of the 2011 Fukushima accidents at an astonishing $223bn (Y32.62trn) – the largest in the world.

Nuclear finances are even more alarming when compared with renewable alternatives. Renewable energy continues to outpace nuclear power, with total investment in non-hydro renewable electricity capacity reaching a record $495bn in 2022, 14-times the investment in nuclear power plant construction. Wind and solar facilities alone generated 28% more electricity than their nuclear counterparts, accounting for 11.7% of global electricity generation, compared with nuclear’s 9.2%.

In terms of LCOE, the report highlights that nuclear power can be nearly four-times the LCOE of onshore wind at a discount rate of 10%. In the US, unsubsidised solar and wind, with rapidly declining firming costs, have a combined cost of $45–140 per megawatt-hour (MWh) in comparison with new nuclear at a mean $180/MWh.

Uncertain future for global nuclear industry

The global nuclear industry confronts an uncertain future, paired with concerning new developments in the sector.

In the report, one country stood out for going against the current as it continues to dominate the global nuclear market – Russia.

While China leads in the domestic number of reactors under construction with 23 ongoing, Russia dominates the international market with 24 units under construction, including 19 in seven other countries. Russia has also brought on new technology, notably developing the first and only floating nuclear power plant in the world.

However, according to the report, construction delays plague many Russian projects, with 93% of ongoing constructions taking place in Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) or by NWS-controlled companies abroad.

In addition, both China and Russia have been tied to recent revelations about cyberattacks on Sellafield, a nuclear site located on the Cumbrian coast in the UK, by groups with close ties to the two countries. The investigation raised eyebrows about the state of cybersecurity for nuclear sites.

The report also notes that Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have not seen significant progress in the past year, with no units under construction in the western world. The most advanced project, based in the US and involving NuScale, terminated in November 2023 due to a 75% increase in the cost estimate. Canada, nevertheless, plans to build four SMRs in Ontario, arguing that they will contribute C$15.3bn ($11.25bn) to Canada’s gross domestic product.

In conclusion, the WNISR paints a sobering picture for the global nuclear power industry as it grapples with economic challenges, national policy shifts and the dominance of renewable energy alternatives. As the world transitions towards cleaner and more economically viable energy sources, nuclear power finds itself at a crossroads.

Despite all this, recent announcements at the COP28 summit demonstrate the industry’s efforts to turn things around. While the US, Canada, France, Japan and UK backed the global nuclear supply chain, planning investments to improve uranium enrichment and conversion capacity, US Special Climate Envoy John Kerry launched an international engagement plan to advance nuclear fusion, saying the technology will become vital in the energy transition.

There have also been new developments in international cooperation with the UK and US signing a partnership to develop nuclear fusion technology and the UK and South Korea agreeing to strengthen their cooperation on civil nuclear power including large-scale, small-scale and advanced reactors, decommissioning and waste management, and supply chains.

Title:

Content: Russia, Ukraine under international sanctions to reduce dependence on Moscow for natural gas supply
BERLIN (AFP) – Moscow ’ s invasion of Ukraine highlights Germany ’ s dependence on Russian gas, forcing Europe ’ s largest economy to urgently adjust its domestic energy mix.
Advertisement
"We have to change course to overcome our dependence on imports," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a special session of the Bundestag on the Ukraine crisis.
With Russia increasingly isolated from the rest of the world as a result of sanctions imposed on the Ukrainian economy, Berlin can no longer rely on Moscow to supply more than 50% of Germany ’ s natural gas.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Monday that energy supplies were still mostly exempt from Western sanctions, but that policymakers still had to respond to Russia ’ s decision to stop gas supplies.
A coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Liberal Democrats (FDP) came to power in December last year, with the new government pledging to withdraw coal-fired power by 2030, but upholding former Prime Minister Angela Merkel ’ s decision to let nuclear power out of service by the end of 2022.
But in Germany ’ s green energy transition plan, natural gas plays a critical and excessive role, providing existing energy supplies before wind and solar power are in place.
Robert Habeck, Germany ’ s economy and climate minister, recently said, “In the short term, we may have to leave coal-fired power in reserve. ”
Green ministers also did not rule out delaying the decommissioning of Germany ’ s last three nuclear power plants.
However, the German government faces significant challenges in pursuing the nuclear option.
“You can ’ t delay the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant after you decide to shut it down, ” says Karen Pittel, an energy expert at the think tank IFO.
Power company RWE told the German daily Handelsblatt that maintaining nuclear power plants in operation would face “extremely high barriers ”“ on a technical and administrative level. ”
(Translator: Liu Shuqin / Review: Chen Chengyi)

Title:

Content: Read the history of the moment: why is Germany so entangled in nuclear power? | German News | DW | 14.04.2023
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Read the history of the present: why is Germany so entangled in nuclear power?
Germany was proud of its nuclear power generation technology, but at the same time the technology has been so controversial that it has finally decided that April 15, 2023 is the date of withdrawal from nuclear power.
However, as the energy crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war continues to intensify, the wisdom of the decision to say goodbye to nuclear energy has been widely discussed.
Germany ’ s nuclear policy is in dispute again
It all started with an "egg" - Germany's first nuclear reactor in Garching, near Munich, went into operation in October 1957.
Because the nuclear reactor, which belongs to the University of Munich, resembles an egg, it is nicknamed the "atomic egg".
It was a milestone in Germany's nuclear energy research and a symbol of Germany's resurgence after World War II.
The nuclear reactor, which was used for scientific purposes, remained in operation until 2000.
In 1957, Germany built its first nuclear reactor.
Three years later, in 1960, the first nuclear power plant for civilian use was built in the city of Kahl, on the banks of the Main River in Bavaria.
At that time, atomic energy was widely regarded as both safe and reliable. The 1973 oil crisis gave further impetus to the rapid development of nuclear energy in Germany.
The start of the anti-nuclear movement
Since it has been impossible to find a foolproof way to store nuclear waste, opponents have begun to question whether nuclear energy is really a clean energy source.
Thousands of protesters clashed with police during the construction of the Brockdorf nuclear power plant in the state of Shihe.
Since the 1970s, plans for the construction of the Brockdorf nuclear power plant have triggered numerous police and civil conflicts.
"Nuclear energy? No, thank you!" has become a rallying cry for environmentalists.
In the 1980s, a new political party, the Green Party, emerged in West Germany. Its members are mainly leftists, pacifists, environmentalists and anti-nuclear forces. In 1983, the Green Party entered the Bundestag.
In 1983, Green Party politicians Gert Bastian and Petra Kelly were elected to the Bundestag.
On March 28, 1979, a serious accident occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, United States. On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Soviet Union, exploded, causing the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Radiation clouds spread throughout Europe.
The accident also marked a turning point in discussions about nuclear technology in Germany.
At the time, Germany was still divided.
In East Germany under the Communist Party, the public received almost no information about the nuclear accident and its effects.
West Germany, on the other hand, was in a state of confusion and politicians were helpless.
People were unprepared for a nuclear leak, and the government was unable to provide guidelines and response strategies for the time being.
A hastily formed crisis management team was also disbanded shortly afterwards.
The Chernobyl nuclear accident has caused widespread concern in Germany.
People are buying iodine.
A large quantity of fruit, vegetables and milk in the supermarket was ordered to be removed from the shelves because of concerns about nuclear radiation.
Children were banned from playing in the sand pools and citizens were warned not to go out in the rain.
Although the health effects of radiation were not detected in Germany, the accident led to the introduction of nationwide radiation monitoring in Germany, which eventually led to the establishment of the Federal Ministry of the Environment.
Plans to build a nuclear waste treatment plant in the Bavarian town of Wackersdorf have sparked serious riots.
The clashes left several protesters and civil servants dead and hundreds injured.
The project was finally halted in 1989, the first major victory of the German environmental movement.
And...
In 2011, protesters handcuffed themselves to the tracks in an attempt to block trains carrying nuclear waste.
Meanwhile, in northern Germany, Gorleben in Lower Saxony became a symbol of the struggle against nuclear waste, and the town was designated to temporarily store nuclear waste until a permanent storage site was identified.
The first shipment of nuclear waste arrived in the town on 24 April 1995.
A long farewell to nuclear power - Germany's nuclear withdrawal process after many setbacks
In 2001, Schroeder's center-left coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party reached an agreement with major energy companies to phase out nuclear power.
All 19 nuclear power plants in Germany have been given operating timelines and the last one is required to be shut down by 2021.
In 2001, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced that Germany would phase out nuclear power generation.
In 2010, the center-right government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel withdrew the nuclear withdrawal agreement.
It also decided to extend the operating time of nuclear power plants.
However, the third major nuclear accident in the world has caused a change in Germany's nuclear energy policy. On March 11, 2011, the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan caused by the earthquake and tsunami.
The impact of the accident on Germany is even greater than that of Japan.
As a veteran physicist, German Chancellor Angela Merkel unexpectedly changed her usual stance on nuclear energy policy.
Merkel suddenly announced that the era of nuclear power in Germany will end by the end of 2022. On July 30, 2011, the German Bundestag voted to approve the resolution.
After years of fierce fighting, the Brockdorf nuclear power plant in the state of Ishih will finally become history in 2021 after 35 years of operation.
In 2017, Germany decided to start a nationwide search for a safe place to store highly radioactive nuclear waste, with the mission to be completed by 2031.
At the end of 2021, anti-nuclear activists celebrated the closure of a nuclear power plant in North Germany.
Rethinking the nuclear policy.
The war in Ukraine has made Germany anxious to get rid of its energy dependence on Russia, which has also reignited the already ironclad policy of denuclearization.
The coalition leader has spearheaded a proposal to extend the operating time of nuclear power plants to replace natural gas from Russia with nuclear power.
In August 2022, CDU Chairman Meltz and CSU Chairman Soder both put forward the idea of extending the time limit for nuclear power operations.
Christian Lindner, finance minister of the business-oriented Liberal Democratic Party (FDP), immediately backed a return to nuclear power.
His party is junior partner in a centre-left coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens.
The latter will find it difficult to agree to an extension because opposition to nuclear power is one of their core issues.
But in the summer of 2022, no one in Germany completely ruled out that possibility.
LDP finance minister Lindner, who is focused on business interests, was also quick to join the pro-nuclear camp.
But for the Green Party, which is also part of the ruling coalition, the possibility of agreeing to extend the operating time of nuclear power plants is slim, because opposition to nuclear power is their basic principle.
Anything is possible in Germany in 2022.
Can nuclear power be a climate savior?
Editor: This article was originally published in August 2022
© 2022 Deutsche Welle Copyright Notice: All content in this article is protected by copyright law and may not be used without special permission from Deutsche Welle.
Any misconduct will lead to recovery and criminal prosecution.
DW.COM

Nuclear power supplied about 10% of Germany's electricity before shutdown.

Title:

Content: Three nuclear-fired power plants will be taken off the grid in Germany on Friday as part of the country's plan to end atomic power.

"The nuclear phaseout makes our country safer and helps to avoid radioactive waste," said Federal Environment and Nuclear Safety Minister Steffi Lemke.

"It is now essential to ... advance the search for a final repository for high-level radioactive waste as well as permanent solutions for low- and medium-level radioactive waste," the environment ministry said.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel speeded up the phaseout following the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan.

Friday's shutdown affects power plants in Brokdorf in Schleswig-Holstein, Grohnde in Lower Saxony and Gundremmingen C in Bavaria.

Germany's remaining three nuclear plants — Emsland in Lower Saxony, Isar 2 in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg — will be closed by the end of 2022 "at the latest," the environment ministry said.

"Since 2011, Germany has been drawing a line under a highly problematic technology in an orderly, reliable process," Lemke said.

Nuclear accounts for about 10 percent of Germany's electricity production. The shutdown has sparked criticism as Germany will have to dramatically ramp up renewable energy and has also increased its reliance on highly polluting coal-fired power.

"Security of supply in Germany continues to be guaranteed," said Robert Habeck, federal climate and economy minister. He added that reliable and "sustainably generated electricity" is a "central requirement for aligning our economy and industry toward climate neutrality."

That stance puts Berlin at loggerheads with France, where nuclear is the largest element of its energy mix (and also helps supply Germany).

EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said in September that existing nuclear plants, which provide low-carbon electricity essential to the green transition, can be kept running "for two, five, 10 years," adding: "Why deprive ourselves of this production capacity?"

France is planning to scale down the share of nuclear in its electricity mix from 75 percent to 50 percent by 2035, but President Emmanuel Macron said in November that France "will restart the construction of nuclear reactors" while "continuing to develop renewable energies."

Macron also said France will invest €1 billion into research and development, notably into small modular reactors.

Belgium recently decided to shut down all its nuclear power plants by 2025, but plans to invest €100 million in new generation nuclear reactors and research.

More from ... Louise Guillot

Germany targets 80% wind/solar by 2030, 45% renewable share.

Title:

Content: Meta removes Russian disinformation campaigns, Starlink extends service in Ukraine, and Germany proposes a renewable energy plan.

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Tuesday, March 1st, and I’m your host, Pragya Sehgal.

Early this week Meta said it detected and removed two disinformation campaigns run by groups in Russia and Ukraine. One of the two campaigns was operated by Ghostwriter, a Russia-linked disinformation and hacking group, Business Insider reported. Ghostwriter gained access to people’s Facebook accounts and then posted disinformation. According to Meta, additional security was placed on targeted accounts and affected users were notified. The other campaign used a network of fake accounts belonging to fictitious people claiming to be based in Kyiv. Meta said the display photos for these fake accounts were most likely created using a type of AI called generative adversarial networks. On Friday, the company released advice for Ukrainian users on how to lock and secure their accounts.

Over the weekend, Elon Musk said that Starlink‘s internet service is active in Ukraine and that more terminals are being sent as Russian troops disrupt internet access. Musk made the move after a senior Ukrainian government official asked him to provide more Starlink stations to the country. The vice prime minister of Ukraine and minister of digital transformation tweeted: “While you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations.”

Germany aims to fulfil all its electricity needs with supplies from renewable sources by 2035, according to a government draft paper. The country has been under pressure from other Western nations to become less dependent on Russian gas. However, its plans to eliminate coal-fired power plants by 2030 and to shut its nuclear power plants by the end of 2022 have left it with minimal options. Germany’s economy minister has described the accelerated capacity expansion for renewable energy as a vital element in making the country less dependent on Russian fossil fuel supplies, Reuters reported. The government draft paper revealed that the corresponding amendment to the country’s Renewable Energy Sources Act is ready and the share of wind or solar power should reach 80 per cent by 2030.

And now for something a bit different. Swedish researchers have created an artificial neuron that can control the snapping of a Venus flytrap’s mouth, paving the way for a new type of neurotechnology. The engineered artificial neuron could be useful for future research linking artificial, synthetic devices with biological systems such as brain-machine interfaces. In a study published in Nature, researchers from three Swedish universities constructed the neurons from polymers that can transport electrical signals to cells in the Venus flytrap which control the plant’s mouth. Venus flytraps, like other plants, don’t have nerves like humans and other animals. However, they are able to generate electrical impulses called action potentials that human neurons use to convey information to neural neighbours in the brain and spinal cord. The researcher’s next step is not only to get these artificial neurons to be faster but to advance them to more complex biological systems which they say they are already working on.

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Pragya Sehgal.

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Gas from garbage: how in Europe are going to reduce dependence on Russia
Germany can reduce the consumption of Russian gas through the use of biological waste, said the Deputy Minister of environment of the Federal state of Baden-Württemberg Andre Baumann, reports Südwestrundfunk.
According to him, for example, gas can be produced from banana peels.
“Natural gas is produced from the banana peel, and then we need less gas [of Russian President Vladimir] <... >.
There's treasure buried in the residual waste tank.
This is our gold — residual waste, ” said Baumann.
From the political point of view, the gas produced from organic waste already provides electricity to more than 200,000 Germans, and in the future this number can be doubled by focusing on recycling.
As Baumann stressed, this can be helped by the emergence of a new position - "garbage detectives" who will have access to the garbage of citizens in apartment buildings for better sorting of waste.
In three months, a gas disaster could occur in Germany if the chancellor does not take decisive action.
This is reported by the American agency Bloomberg.
“Germany ’ s presidential palace in Berlin is no longer lit at night, the city of Hannover is turning off hot water in the showers of its swimming pools and gyms, and municipalities across the country are preparing heating shelters to protect people from the cold.
And this is just the beginning of a crisis that will sweep across Europe.
The administration of Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in no hurry to solve the problem of Germany ’ s vulnerability.
Cities are now cutting back on lighting and hot water to prevent disaster.
Germany has three months to escape from the winter gas crisis, ” writes Bloomberg.
Earlier, the head of Ursula von der Leyen called on Europe to prepare for the complete cessation of gas supplies from Russia.
July 25 said that stops the operation of the gas turbine engine Siemens due to technical problems, writes RT.
Gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 fell to 20% of the maximum.
The Kremlin said that Western sanctions prevent Gazprom from guaranteeing gas pumping, reports the “National news service ”.
Residents of German Hanover began to experience the "charms" of a large-scale European campaign to demonstrate the rejection of Russian gas.
The city authorities stopped supplying hot water and heating.
Not only public buildings were hit, but also swimming pools and gyms.
Local officials explained this by the urgent need to save electricity amid a shortage of gas.
They are not far behind in Berlin.
They realized that precious kilowatts can be preserved by refusing to illuminate historical monuments.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of the Federal state of Saxony told the German newspaper Zeit that Germany will not be able to refuse to supply “blue fuel ” from Russia for at least five years.
According to him, the approach “never again to receive raw materials from Russia ” is unconstructive, since in the foreseeable future Russian gas for Germany has no alternative.
The official stressed that the Germans have yet to learn the true price of the rise in the price of Russian hydrocarbons.
Plans for the formation of heating points for the freezing population are vivid evidence of this.
Kretschmer frankly admits that the German economy is teetering on the brink.
His position is especially revealing in comparison with what the Minister of Economy of the country says.
He does not get tired with enthusiasm to talk about the alleged readiness of Germany to break with Russian energy dependence in the shortest possible time.
By the way, it was he who urged compatriots to wash less - for the sake of saving electricity.
Germany may face a shortage of paper packaging and toilet paper due to a shortage of Russian gas used to generate energy in the production of these products.
This statement in an interview with the German newspaper Die Zeit was made by the Chairman of the Board of the Bavarian Association of Paper Manufacturers Jürgen Schaller.
According to Schaller, in the production of cardboard, toilet and packaging paper, enterprises require a large amount of electricity.
At the moment, it is obtained with the help of Russian gas, but against the background of a decrease in supplies, a situation may arise with a shortage of energy resources for the needs of industry.
As Schaller noted, in this case, German retailers and manufacturers will have to deal with the shortage of packaging paper for many essential goods, including food, medicine, and hygiene supplies.
The shortage of energy resources in European countries is associated with the introduction of many anti-Russian sanctions after the start of the special operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
German drivers could save a lot of energy if they were slower to drive on autobahns.
This was stated by the Minister of food and agriculture of Germany Cem Ozdemir in an interview for Funke.
He advised not to take a car, but to ride a bicycle, bus or train, writes TASS.
According to the minister, using a car, you should choose a more economical option of movement with low speed.
“Given the high energy prices and heavy dependence on Russia, I can only advise you to do so, ” said Ozdemir.
He added that by doing so, it would be possible to “in one fell swoop ” save a lot of energy.
Earlier, the head of the Association of German trade unions urged to limit the speed on autobahns to save gasoline.
According to Hoffman, you need to “save every drop of gasoline that you can save. ”
However, Hoffman admitted that the problems of rising fuel prices will not solve this.
In the UK, people can be urged to reduce the consumption of gas and electricity in their homes.
This is reported by the Telegraph.
This solution to the problem of a possible shortage of energy resources is outlined in an official document of the government of the country
According to the publication, these appeals can be regularly broadcast on radio, television and social networks, as well as distributed through posters and leaflets.
It is noted that the countries (EU) were asked to reduce gas consumption by 15% from next month.
The situation comes amid fears that they will not be able to accumulate enough fuel for the winter after Russia cut supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
At the same time, Germany, Austria and France have already appealed to the population with a similar request.
At the same time, the publication says that the UK is not dependent on gas supplies from Russia, but could suffer if Europe increases demand for alternative energy sources.
Earlier, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called a way to reduce dependence on Russian gas.
According to her, the country should build more nuclear power plants and produce more small modular reactors.
The end of July 2022 was marked by two important news for relations between Russia and the EU in the field of energy.
Since July 27, Gazprom has sent another turbine from Nord Stream for repair.
Only one machine remained in working condition - due to which gas supplies through the pipeline decreased from 67 million cubic meters to 33 million cubic meters per day.
This is about 20% of its maximum capacity.
And the EU countries on July 26 agreed on an anti-crisis plan, which involves reducing gas consumption.
Why is Russia cutting supplies?
Since mid-June, Nord Stream has been operating at a loading rate of 40%.
“Gazprom ” explained this force majeure circumstances — located in Canada on repair turbine Siemens stuck there because of sanctions.
The current shutdown of the turbine is also dictated by the need for repairs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned about this for a week.
There are five gas pumping stations operating on Nord Stream.
One in repair, one was supposed to be sent for repair.
Instead, it was supposed to come from a Siemens factory in Canada repaired.
They are under sanctions in Canada.
One car broke down because routine work came, and another station did not come from Canada, ” the president outlined the situation.
Speaking about the difficulties that arise due to the decision of European countries on the existing routes of gas supplies from Russia, Vladimir Putin drew attention to the fact that Gazprom fulfilled, fulfills and “will fully fulfill its obligations, if, of course, someone needs it. ”
"If they (Europe) cover everything with their own hands, and then look for the guilty - it would be funny if it was not so sad," he concluded.
The fate of the turbine, previously stuck in Canada due to sanctions, remains unclear.
As of July 25, she was in Germany for several days, where she was returned to the manufacturer - Siemens.
He gave Gazprom documents that allow it to be sent to Russia.
But the Russian company said that these papers "do not remove the previously identified (sanctions) risks and raise additional questions."
Siemens, in turn, shifts the responsibility to Gazprom, saying that it does not provide the necessary customs documents for the further transportation of equipment.
"Nord Stream"
The total capacity of the Nord Stream gas export pipeline from Russia to Europe is 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
It runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Vyborg to Greifswald.
The operator is Nord Stream AG, in which 51% is owned by a subsidiary of Gazprom, 15.5% each by the German Wintershall Dea and E.ON, another 9% by the Dutch N. V. Nederlandse Gasunie and the French Engie.
Gas supplies through Nord Stream in 2021 were at the level of a historically record 2020 — 59.2 billion cubic meters.
How do we respond to supply cuts in Europe?
European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said that the reduction of supplies through Nord Stream confirms the danger of a complete shutdown of Russian gas.
Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck rejected the statements of Gazprom that the reason for the recent restrictions is the maintenance of turbines.
The Federal Network Agency (the regulator of Germany), in turn, also sees no technical reasons for reducing supplies.
Habek accused Russia of “playing an insidious game ”, fueling uncertainty and provoking higher prices.
At the same time, the former Federal Chancellor of Germany arrived in Moscow for talks on energy policy, Der Spiegel reported on July 26.
At the same time, it is not clear who exactly the politician will meet in the Russian capital.
By the way, in Germany Schroeder is sharply criticized for close ties with Russia.
How much has the Russian gas supply to Europe decreased?
For the year since June 2021, Russian gas supplies have fallen by 60%.
According to experts of the European analytical company Bruegel, the share of gas supplies to the EU, which is covered by Russia, decreased from 40% in 2021 to 20% in June 2022.
And they decreased in all directions - and along the route through Ukraine, too.
After the reports of Gazprom on the reduction of supplies, gas prices in Europe accelerated growth and reached $1,800 per thousand cubic meters, and a day later rose above $2,200 per thousand cubic meters.
What is Europe without Russian gas?
According to the IMF, the reduction of Russian supplies by 70%, European economies will be able to compensate – at the expense of alternative suppliers and energy sources.
In fact, this explains how some countries have already been able to unilaterally refuse to import gas from Russia.
But if supplies stop completely, it will not be so easy to diversify them.
Some countries will face a deficit in gas consumption of up to 15-40%, and the EU economy will lose about 2.5% of GDP next year.
At the same time, Hungary will suffer the most - a drop in GDP by 6.5%, Italy, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - a decline in economies by 6%.
However, if European countries manage to redistribute supplies among themselves, the global market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) can reduce the economic damage by almost half.
The consulting company Wood Mackenzie estimated that if the loading of Nord Stream remains at 20%, then by November 2022 the EU will be able to fill gas storage facilities only by 80% - now they are filled by about 65%.
This means that by the end of the heating season in the spring of 2023, only 20% of fuel will remain in them - which is very little.
And if the coming winter turns out to be cold, it will only worsen the situation.
Especially if there is a cold winter in Asia – the growth of LNG demand in this region will lead to the fact that part of it will not get to Europe.
Against this background, the next winter – 2023 – 2024 – threatens to be even harder than this one, Bloomberg noted.
German economists, however, are confident that Germany will have enough gas - this winter and next.
Italy said that by winter the country will be almost independent of Russian supplies, and by next year it will be completely safe - without any dependence on Russia.
Naturally, the decline in Russian oil and gas exports will affect the world economy as a whole.
According to the IMF, due to the current situation, global GDP growth will be 0.5 percentage points less in 2022-2023 than previously estimated, and inflation, on the contrary, will increase by more than 1 percentage point in 2022.
What does the EU plan to do in the face of a reduction in Russian gas supplies?
The EU sanctions do not apply to the supply of Russian gas – because of too much dependence of the region.
But the European authorities fear that Russia itself will impose restrictions.
The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen admitted that Russian supplies will completely stop.
So the countries of the Union are reducing gas consumption by the coming winter.
They agreed to reduce it by 15% by April 2023.
And in (IEA) even offer to save even more - 20%.
The agreement is still voluntary, but it can also become mandatory.
Critical infrastructure, healthcare and private users will not be shut down.
The savings are planned to be achieved by reducing the heating or air conditioning of public buildings, as well as restrictions on energy.
However, some countries have been relieved.
For example, Italy and Portugal can save only 7% on average annual consumption over the past five years.
And other states can be an exception at all if they are not sufficiently connected to the EU ’ s gas or electricity system, such as the Baltic states.
In addition, there are those who in principle do not agree to reduce gas consumption.
“This is an unjustified, useless and impossible proposal that completely ignores the state interests, ” the Hungarian Foreign Minister said.
Therefore, the problem with gas supplies from Russia threatens the EU not only with economic, but also with political consequences.
Thus, they fear that the situation undermines the unity of the countries of the Union.
"European countries need to work together and quickly if they want to survive the winter relatively unscathed," Karolina Semeniuk, an analyst at Rystad Energy, told Reuters.
And the Financial Times admits that representatives of European countries will soon return to the negotiating table to agree on specific figures - to whom and how much to reduce gas consumption.
What is Europe going to replace Russian gas?
The supply gap is already closing additional LNG imports.
This is the main alternative to pipeline deliveries from Russia.
But as previously feared by experts, the replacement of Russian gas by LNG from other sources has reached its limit, Bruegel noted.
Another option is green energy.
On the one hand, the geopolitical conflict once again — after the pandemic — pushed the environmental agenda into the background.
On the other hand, as noted by the experts of the International Economic Forum (IEF), energy transition is becoming important not only from the point of view of climate, but also national security.
The EU has outlined a “large-scale expansion ” of the use of alternative energy sources as part of plans to abandon energy resources from Russia.
The goal is that the share of renewable energy in the energy mix should be 45% by 2030.
However, in order to achieve these results, the countries of the Union will have to increase coal consumption in the short term, the IEF notes.
In 2021, due to the rapid recovery of the economy, coal consumption in Europe increased for the first time since 2017 - by 12%.
And it is expected that the next five to ten years the EU will burn 5% more coal than it has so far.
Nuclear power plants can also be an alternative to gas.
So, Washington intends to discuss with Brussels the increase in electricity generation at nuclear power plants in Europe.
In particular, American officials want to convince the German government to postpone the abandonment of nuclear power and extend the work of three nuclear power plants.
But the country is not ready to revive nuclear energy.
In addition, Europe immediately imports "finished product" - electricity from the territory of Ukraine.
This makes it possible to compensate for the lack of financial resources, and the EU – to receive additional energy in the conditions of refusal of gas.
But in the short term, the main hope of European countries is LNG supplies and contracts with other gas suppliers, the New York Times noted.
What does Europe ’ s abandonment of its gas mean for Russia?
Against the background of declining supplies from falling revenues, Gazprom is protected by high prices for raw materials.
Since the beginning of 2021, the cost of natural gas has increased by 700%, according to Bloomberg.
The Chairman of the Board of "Gazprom" in June even said that the company "no offense" in such a situation.
In total, for the first half of 2022, the federal budget has already received 6.4 trillion rubles of oil and gas revenues - of the planned 9.5 trillion rubles, that is about 67%.
In the future, Russia should learn how to quickly change the direction of raw materials supplies from the West to the East and back.
This can be done, for example, by combining the Europe-oriented gas transportation system with the Power of Siberia and the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipeline, the Russian Prime Minister said.
In any case, Russia will have to seriously diversify its energy exports, primarily to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

Russian‑Ukrainian war cut gas imports, spiking prices and causing supply gaps.

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Content: Global Economic News
Germany is under constant threat of inflation.
Economic growth forecast reduced to 1.5%
German interest payments are expected to reach 30 billion euros in 2023.
German Chancellor Olaf Schulz has warned of a permanent inflationary spiral in Germany.
"This is exactly what we need to focus on right now," Schulz said during the German Industry Day event in Berlin, referring to the "focused campaign" announced by representatives of employers and workers on July 4, stressing that difficult problems can be better solved through cooperation rather than working against each other.
Schulz said former economy minister Carl Schiller called the "focused campaign" a "community table of rationality", adding that this is exactly what the next campaign is about.
The term "concentrated campaign" has been known since the time of the first coalition government between the Christian Alliance and the Social Democratic Party.
The economy minister at the time, Schiller, in 1967 invited representatives of the government, the central bank, employers' unions and trade unions to sit at the same table in order to face the first economic crisis in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Referring to climate protection, digitization and the Russo-Ukrainian war, Schulz said Germany faces major challenges, explaining that the goal is for German industry to emerge stronger from this transformation, not with fewer jobs, but with more.
Schulz said the German government “rolled up its sleeves ”, referring to the promises he made a year ago on German Industry Day when he was a candidate for chancellor, adding that these promises were fulfilled, including the firm expansion of renewable energy sources and the abolition of the clean energy tax on the electricity bill.
What Schulz did not mention was that a year ago he said his goal was to lower the price of electricity for the industrial sector.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said inflation was eroding the fundamentals of the economy, two days after official data showed German producer prices jumped 33.6 percent year on year in May.
Lindner told the German Confederation of Industry: “Inflation erodes the economic basis of everything else. ”
He said Germany should expect interest payments of 30 billion euros ($31.65 billion) in 2023, compared with 4 billion euros in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of German Industries significantly cut its economic forecast for this year and announced that it expects the German economy to grow by only 1.5 percent.
The EU had forecast 3.5 percent growth this year before the start of the war in Ukraine.
Sigfried Rosform, president of the federation, said: "The double crisis of the war and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are causing problems for the industry."
Rosform expects a recovery, in the sense of returning to the pre-crisis level of the coronavirus pandemic, at the end of the year at the earliest, provided that Russian gas continues to reach western Europe, he said, "The outage will have catastrophic effects on production industries and will inevitably lead to an economic recession."
Companies' orders are currently piling up at a record level, Rosform said, adding that production is partly being hit hard by supply bottlenecks, noting that uncertain economic prospects and increased uncertainty due to the war are hampering companies' ability to invest.
The war in Ukraine exposed the vulnerabilities of the industrialised country, Germany, in the security of the supply of energy, raw materials and basic technologies.
In light of the high inflation caused by the sharp rise in energy and raw material prices, Rosform said "cost burdens are increasingly suffocating companies" and called on the German government to significantly reduce electricity tax and grid fees.
Germany ’ s opposition leader said on Monday that the country ’ s three remaining nuclear power plants should remain in operation longer than planned to compensate for reduced Russian gas imports via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
Friedrich Meretz, head of the opposition Christian Democratic Party, has openly criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz ’ s reaction to the war in Ukraine and subsequent efforts to reduce Germany ’ s dependence on Russian energy imports.
Experts say it is only a matter of time before Russia ’ s energy supplies to Germany are cut off – whether by their political decisions or by the will of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The response from Germany ’ s political circles was to flirt with other countries for supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), and to urge the German people to reduce domestic energy consumption.
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2023 electricity prices rose 160% above 2019 levels.

High gas costs caused chemical and fertilizer production to fall.

CDU/CSU and FDP proposed extending nuclear lifetimes to offset gas cuts.

Green Party and environmental groups opposed any nuclear revival.

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Nuclear energy summit 35 countries allow nuclear power plants to achieve carbon neutrality, Germany, Austria anti-nuclear support for renewable energy
Leaders and delegations from 35 countries around the world held their first nuclear energy summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, declaring their support for using nuclear energy to help achieve global carbon neutrality goals.
The leaders of the meeting made a statement pledging to build more new nuclear plants, and EU Commission President Van der Leyen said that the extension of existing nuclear plants also contributes to carbon reduction targets.
"We must do everything we can to promote the contribution of nuclear energy," said IAEA Director Grossi, who chaired the meeting.
“It ’ s clear that nuclear power is there and has an important role to play, ” he said.
The head of the International Energy Agency, Robert De Blasio, said: “Without the support of nuclear power, we will not have a chance to meet our climate targets on time. ”
Nuclear energy is a low-carbon energy source that expands the political thrust of nuclear power and is part of Europe ’ s ambitious climate goals.
EU Council President Michel said nuclear energy "can help us deal with the climate crisis on the one hand, and help us build strategic autonomy on the other."
Extending the safe operation of existing nuclear plants is one of the cheapest ways to ensure large amounts of clean energy, said EU Commission President Jean-Claude van der Leyen.
But she admitted that the EU has different views on nuclear energy.
Carbon emitters such as the United States, China and India, as well as Japan, South Korea and several European countries that support nuclear power, participated in the summit.
According to a joint statement seen by Reuters, the leaders at the meeting said they would “commit to fully unlocking the potential of nuclear power, adopting supportive measures and competitive funding to extend the life of existing nuclear reactors. ”
It also pledged to build new nuclear plants and deploy advanced reactors, including small nuclear power plants worldwide, at an early date, while maintaining the highest level of safety and security.
At the end of last year, 22 countries signed an initiative at the COP28 United Nations Climate Summit, pledging to triple nuclear power generation by 2050 to reach the goal of net zero carbon emissions.
On the 19th, the World Meteorological Organization issued a “red alert ” on climate change, saying that the global average surface temperature is already 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, close to the 1.5 degree threshold set by the Paris Agreement.
Many countries believe that the use of low-carbon nuclear power can achieve carbon reduction goals to avoid the climate crisis.
However, nuclear energy also faces resistance, including lack of investment, cost overruns and continued delays. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan led Germany and other countries to abandon nuclear power, but global warming has created a need to phase out fossil fuels, and the war in Ukraine has turned Europe ’ s dependence on Russian energy into a mess.
However, even in the European Union, which values carbon reduction, member states are divided over whether to promote nuclear energy, with France leading the charge and the anti-nuclear countries Austria and Germany wanting to focus on renewables such as wind and solar.
Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten, who also attended the summit, also said that she has not been convinced by nuclear energy, in addition to the high cost, sustainable development is not only carbon reduction, but also the waste problem, that is, the nuclear waste treatment dispute is still difficult to solve.
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Polls show 61-67% of Germans support extending nuclear plants.

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Content: According to EurActiv on July 20, in response to the gas shortage, the EU Commission has proposed a natural gas conservation plan, which will be careful to avoid blaming any EU country when it comes to delaying the “phase-out ” of nuclear power plants, a particularly sensitive issue for Germany.
Germany ’ s nuclear program was first planned in the early 2000s, when the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party coalition decided to phase out nuclear power.
Japan ’ s 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster led then-pro-nuclear Prime Minister Angela Merkel, who was pushing for the withdrawal of plans to phase out nuclear power, to end nuclear power under pressure and plan to shut down all nuclear plants by 2022.
However, in early July, Thierry Breton, the European Union ’ s executive member for internal markets, said bluntly: “It ’ s important that the three German nuclear plants still in operation continue to operate for a while. ” Energy comes with a problem.
Even Elon Musk, CEO of US electric car maker Tesla, tweeted: “They should keep running. ”
“If the government wants, we can keep the NPP Isar 2 nuclear power plant running longer than the end of the year, ” says plant operator Preussen Electra. In addition, previous reports by safety certification body TÜV Süd indicate that the plant ’ s continued operation does not pose a safety risk.
A poll of Germans conducted by ARD on 24 June showed that 61% of Germans would support the extension of nuclear power plant operations.
But Sascha Müller-Kraenner, director of the German environmental NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), said in a statement on July 19.
“If the duration of the nuclear power plant exceeds December 31, 2022, we will prevent this from happening through the courts if necessary. ”
Under pressure: the push to keep German nuclear plants running
# Germany # Nuclear Power Plant # Nuclear Waste # Denuclearization # Natural Gas

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Home > News > Germany lied about nuclear energy: expert

Germany lied about nuclear energy: expert

The German government misled its citizens about the possible extension of nuclear power plants, Jakub Wiech, deputy Editor-in-Chief of Energetyka24.com, wrote on Saturday. According to him, all indications are that Berlin’s aim was to close the units regardless of the risks.

He cited Simon Wakter, a Swedish nuclear engineer, who presented a series of materials on his social media showing that Berlin’s narrative on the nuclear issue was getting the truth wrong. As the journalist pointed out, Mr Wakter “has collected statements by German politicians and energy scientists from recent months, juxtaposing them.”

“In his reasoning, Mr Wakter cites, among other things, the German government’s key argument regarding nuclear fuel. Berlin claimed that extending the operation of the nuclear power plants was impossible due to the lack of contracted fuel rod supplies. However, according to Die Welt, there was a confidential meeting between ruling coalition politicians and representatives of nuclear plant operators in March 2022,” Mr Wiech wrote.

As he continued, at the meeting the latter stated that they were able to organise deliveries within a “reasonable timeframe,” however, Berlin took no action in this regard, going further into the narrative of being unable to provide fuel input.

“On exactly 8 March, the German government published a report listing the reasons why nuclear power plants can no longer operate. However, at the same time, those in power met with representatives of nuclear industry operators, who indicated solutions to the allegations made by the report,” Mr Wakter was quoted as saying by the journalist.

“As additional evidence, he points to a statement by a spokesman for Preussen Elektra, who says that the Isar nuclear power plant, one of the last three units of its type in Germany, can continue to operate beyond 31 December 2022 – and without additional supplies of nuclear fuel. Berlin’s argument in this regard has been shown to be a simple lie,” Mr Wiech wrote.

As he added, according to an opinion poll from spring 2022, the majority of Germans (65 percent) see nuclear power as part of measures aimed at meeting EU climate targets.

“So, as it turns out, the German government’s key arguments for shutting down nuclear power (lack of fuel and public opposition) turned out to be lies. One may wonder why Berlin is pushing so desperately to extinguish these units – despite the energy crisis,” Mr Wiech concluded.

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No major industry sector formally demanded reactors be restarted.

EU Commission considered postponing gradual nuclear phase‑out.

EU summit pledged to increase nuclear capacity, including small modular reactors.

Germany’s nuclear phase‑out was part of its carbon‑neutral strategy.

Fukushima accelerated Germany’s nuclear exit.

Germany’s energy market shifted to renewables, temporary coal, gas, and imports.

Energy market faced supply gaps and price volatility after nuclear shutdown.

EU electricity prices rose 30% in February 2022 due to war.

Winter renewable output dropped, leading to higher coal and gas use.