Germany's decision to phase out nuclear energy was significantly influenced by political factors, including the rise of the Green Party in the 1980s, which championed anti-nuclear policies, and the Fukushima disaster in 2011, which prompted Chancellor Angela Merkel to accelerate the phase-out timeline due to safety concerns and public pressure.

Environmental concerns, such as the unresolved issue of safely storing high-level radioactive waste and the desire to transition to renewable energy sources, also played a critical role in shaping Germany's nuclear policy, with the government aiming for a complete switch to green energy by 2035.

Societal factors, including widespread anti-nuclear protests following the Chernobyl disaster and the establishment of radiation monitoring systems, further solidified public opposition to nuclear energy, making it a contentious issue in Germany's energy transition strategy.

Germany's energy grid has adapted to the loss of nuclear power by significantly increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources, which now account for nearly 40% of electricity generation, while also temporarily increasing coal-fired power generation to address gaps in supply caused by the nuclear phase-out and the energy crisis exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

However, the transition has led to challenges in energy distribution, particularly in transmitting renewable energy from northern regions to industrial hubs in the south, as grid infrastructure has not been sufficiently updated to accommodate the shift, resulting in inefficiencies and reliance on fossil fuels to stabilize the grid.

Germany's first nuclear-free winter saw increased dependence on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, leading to higher carbon emissions and economic strain, with industrial electricity demand falling due to elevated energy costs.

Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power have been prioritized to replace nuclear energy, with renewables currently accounting for 41% of the national energy mix and targeted to meet 80% of energy demand by 2030.

Wind energy has emerged as a key driver of renewable energy growth in Germany, contributing 38.5% of electricity production in the first quarter of 2024, making it the largest renewable contributor to the energy mix.

Germany is also investing in green hydrogen as a complementary renewable energy source, leveraging its significant offshore wind capacity to produce hydrogen for sectors where direct electrification is not feasible.

Following the nuclear phase-out, coal and natural gas have become critical components of Germany's energy mix, with natural gas serving as a transitional energy source until renewable energy infrastructure is fully developed, despite its reliance on imports from Russia and other suppliers for short-term stability.

This increased reliance on coal and gas has raised concerns about Germany's ability to meet its carbon neutrality goals, as higher emissions from these sources have been estimated to impose social costs of $12 billion annually.

Germany's dependence on natural gas, exacerbated by the loss of nuclear power, has made its energy market vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, which has disrupted gas supplies and forced Germany to accelerate renewable energy development while keeping coal-fired plants as a reserve option.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has significantly disrupted Germany's natural gas imports, as Russian supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline have decreased by 60%, leading to heightened energy scarcity and price volatility across the European Union.

Germany's reliance on Russian natural gas, which previously accounted for over half of its imports, has forced the country to urgently diversify its energy sources, including restarting coal-fired plants and accelerating the construction of liquefied natural gas terminals, though these measures are not immediate solutions.

The energy supply instability caused by the war has led to economic repercussions, such as Germany's first trade deficit since 1991, driven by surging import costs for energy and raw materials, which are straining industrial production and overall economic stability.

Germany has implemented emergency measures to mitigate energy supply disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions with Russia, including increasing reliance on coal-fired power plants and introducing an auction system to incentivize industrial gas savings, while prioritizing the filling of gas storage facilities to ensure winter reserves.

The German government has also sought alternative energy sources by leasing floating LNG terminals, planning land-based LNG facilities, and negotiating with suppliers in the Middle East and North America to diversify its energy imports and reduce dependence on Russian gas.

Germany has nationalized key energy suppliers like Uniper and allocated billions of euros to replenish gas storage facilities, while energy-saving measures and increased renewable energy production have helped stabilize the energy market amidst reduced Russian gas imports.

The nuclear phase-out has led to increased electricity prices in Germany, with household electricity costs rising to €0.3714 per kWh in 2022, among the highest in Europe, due to taxes and surcharges tied to renewable energy policies and fossil fuel price volatility exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The phase-out has also impacted Germany's industrial competitiveness, as high energy prices have driven some companies to relocate production abroad, while others face operational challenges due to insufficient baseload power and grid infrastructure issues, such as the inability to efficiently transmit renewable energy from northern to southern Germany.

Despite the phase-out, public opinion has shifted amid the energy crisis, with 64% of Germans supporting the restart of nuclear power plants to stabilize supply and reduce costs, highlighting growing dissatisfaction with the government's handling of energy policy and the potential reconsideration of nuclear energy as part of the energy mix.

A 2022 poll revealed that 67% of Germans supported extending the operation of nuclear plants for five years, and 41% even favored constructing new reactors, marking a stark contrast to the minimal support for nuclear energy decades ago.

Despite this shift in public opinion, the Green Party, a key member of the ruling coalition, has maintained strong opposition to nuclear energy, reflecting its foundational anti-nuclear stance, which has limited the possibility of reversing the phase-out policy even amidst energy crises.

Movements advocating for the return of nuclear energy have gained traction, with political figures like Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder calling for the reactivation of nuclear plants to address energy security concerns, though federal authorities have dismissed these proposals as political populism.

Recommissioning Germany's deactivated nuclear reactors faces significant technical challenges, including the need for specialized personnel and the procurement of suitable fuel rods, which could take up to 18 months before reactors are operational again after maintenance and refueling processes are completed.

Additionally, the infrastructure for nuclear energy in Germany has been partially dismantled, with some reactors already undergoing complex and lengthy decommissioning processes, making their recommissioning both costly and time-intensive.

Germany's nuclear phase-out contrasts sharply with France's energy policy, as France relies on nuclear power for approximately 70% of its electricity and plans to modernize existing reactors and construct new ones to meet energy needs, while Germany has committed to shutting down its last nuclear plants by 2022 and transitioning to renewables and natural gas as bridge technologies.

While Germany has pursued a complete nuclear phase-out citing safety and sustainability concerns, other EU countries like Belgium and Switzerland have opted to extend the operational lifespan of their reactors, and Eastern European nations such as Poland and Hungary are advancing plans for new nuclear facilities to address energy security and decarbonization goals.

Germany's decision to phase out nuclear energy has been criticized by climate activists and experts who argue that nuclear power is essential for achieving net-zero carbon emissions, as evidenced by international initiatives advocating for the expansion of nuclear energy to meet global climate targets.

Despite Germany's commitment to renewable energy and industrial decarbonization, its rejection of nuclear energy has created divisions within the EU, with countries like France emphasizing nuclear power's role in decarbonization and Germany facing challenges in replacing nuclear energy with sustainable alternatives while maintaining energy security.

Germany's political parties are deeply divided on the issue of nuclear energy, with the Green Party strongly opposing any reversal of the phase-out, citing safety concerns and the high costs associated with nuclear power, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) advocates for extending the life of nuclear plants to ensure energy stability and reduce reliance on coal during the transition to renewables.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has maintained a cautious stance, emphasizing that nuclear energy would not provide immediate relief for the current energy crisis, while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and other conservative voices criticize the government for favoring coal over carbon-neutral nuclear power.

Germany's decision to phase out nuclear energy was significantly influenced by political factors, including the rise of the Green Party in the 1980s, which championed anti-nuclear policies, and the Fukushima disaster in 2011, which prompted Chancellor Angela Merkel to accelerate the phase-out timeline due to safety concerns and public pressure.

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

Environmental concerns, such as the unresolved issue of safely storing high-level radioactive waste and the desire to transition to renewable energy sources, also played a critical role in shaping Germany's nuclear policy, with the government aiming for a complete switch to green energy by 2035.

Title:

Content: Chernobyl and the war: how the events in Ukraine prompted Germany to abandon nuclear energy
Greenpeace activist at a protest against nuclear power in Berlin, Germany.
Photo by REUTERS / Nadja Wohlleben
The end of the atomic age.
This weekend, Germany, as promised, shut down its last nuclear power plants.
On Sunday night, the Germans decommissioned three stations: Izar 2 in Bavaria, Necarwesteim-2 in Baden-Württemberg and Emsland in Lower Saxony.
Nuclear power plants, which have recently produced about 5% of the country ’ s electricity, have been shut down as part of the so-called “energy transition. ”
Its goal is to completely switch to green energy by 2035, that is, to produce electricity from renewable sources.
Read also:
The decision to finally abandon the peaceful atom was given to the German authorities not easy.
A week ago, in political Berlin, there were calls to postpone the closure of the reactors for at least a few months, so as not to jeopardize the security of energy supply in the country.
Moreover, the temporary continuation of the work of the nuclear power plant of Chancellor Olaf Scholz was requested by both the opposition Christian Democrats and the liberals included in the ruling coalition.
Most Germans did not support the closure of the nuclear power plant.
According to sociologists, about 60% of the country ’ s residents called the government ’ s decision to abandon the peaceful atom wrong.
The reason is obvious: people are afraid of further increases in electricity prices, which have literally exploded.
Farewell to the atom: the Ukrainian factor
In fact, the decision to close all German nuclear power plants was made in 2011 by the government of Angela Merkel after the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima.
But the discussion about the abandonment of nuclear power began much earlier — in 1986, after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The accident sparked widespread protests against the use of the peaceful atom, and after Chernobyl, the now ruling Social Democratic Party announced that it would support the closure of all German nuclear power plants and enshrined this position in its political program.
Events in Ukraine also affected the timing of the closure of the nuclear power plant.
Germany planned to shut down all its nuclear power plants by the end of 2022.
However, after a full-scale Russian attack on Ukraine, the operation of the reactors was decided to extend for several more months.
Germany, which took the course of abandoning all Russian energy resources, was afraid of problems with energy supply.
Bavarian exception: will one of the richest lands in Germany be allowed to restart nuclear power plants
In the final rejection of the peaceful atom, it seems, not all German politicians believe.
At least regional.
The prime minister of Bavaria - one of the richest German states - Markus Seder has already said that he will ask the federal government to reconsider its decision.
And this is a few hours after the closing of the last nuclear power plant!
Seder wants the Bavarians to make an exception – allowed them to continue to operate the nuclear power plant “Izar-2 ”, located on the territory of the earth.
Like, now, in times of energy crisis, to abandon nuclear energy is not only risky, but also stupid.
That can be done a little later.
"Bavaria demands that the federal government take responsibility for the continued operation of nuclear power.
Until the crisis is over and the country has switched to renewable energy, we must use all forms of energy before the end of the decade.
Anyone who, like the ruling coalition, hopes that the next winter will be as mild as the previous one, acts extremely naive and careless for an industrial country like Germany, ” said Seder.
And he promised that in the case of a positive decision from Berlin, Bavaria is ready to take responsibility for the operation of the nuclear power plant.
The Bavarian prime minister thought about other lands.
It requires the government to develop and submit a plan for the reactivation of disconnected nuclear power plants.
If necessary, nuclear power plants will be able to resume their work quickly.
Official Berlin has already responded to the calls of the Bavarian Prime Minister – the Minister for Environmental Protection advised Zeder not to engage in political populism.
Non-peaceful atom: Germany wants sanctions against Russian nuclear energy
On the day of the closure of their own nuclear power plants, the Germans also mentioned the nuclear energy of the aggressor country of Russia.
Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy of Germany Robert Gabeck proposed to impose sanctions against the nuclear industry of the Russian Federation.
At the EU level.
For example, to include penalties in the next, already eleventh, sanctions package, the development and coordination of which the Europeans will begin in the near future.
“We have seen that Russia purposefully uses dependence in the energy sector for pressure.
Therefore, the federal government called on the European Commission to impose sanctions on the civilian nuclear sector.
Nuclear technology is an extremely sensitive area, and Russia can no longer be perceived as a reliable partner here, ” Gabek said.
What sanctions are we talking about – the politician did not specify.
However, in early April, after a visit to Ukraine, he proposed to impose sanctions against states that buy uranium from Russia for their nuclear power plants.
Not immediately, but after the transition.
“It is important to start and not be afraid of decisive actions in this area, ” Gabek explained.
The EU ’ s dependence on Russia ’ s nuclear sector is really serious.
About 20% of the uranium for their nuclear power plants EU countries receive from Russia.
Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic are completely dependent on these supplies, that is, 100%.
On the sale of uranium in the European Union, Russia earns 450 million euros a year.
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Societal factors, including widespread anti-nuclear protests following the Chernobyl disaster and the establishment of radiation monitoring systems, further solidified public opposition to nuclear energy, making it a contentious issue in Germany's energy transition strategy.

Title:

Content: Home / News / World /  Germany quits nuclear power; shuts final 3 plants
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Germany has shut its final three nuclear plants, marking the end of the country's end of nuclear era that has spanned more than 60 years.

Nuclear power has long been contentious in Germany.

The move has come as Germany's eyes achieve its green goal. Steffi Lemke, Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection and a Green Party member, "The position of the German government is clear: nuclear power is not green. Nor is it sustainable".

Closure of three nuclear plant's history:

Germany shut three plants-- Emsland, Isar 2, and Neckarwestheim, representing the culmination of a plan set in motion more than 20 years ago.

During the 1970s, a strong anti-nuclear movement emerged in Germany. The movement gave birth to the green party, which is now part of governing coalition.

However, it was in the 2000s the German government pledged to phase out nuclear power and start shutting down plants.

But in 2009, a new government came to power and it seemed brief as if nuclear would get a reprieve as a bridging technology to help the country move to renewable energy.

Then Fukushima happened. In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused three reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to melt down.

Three days later then-Chancellor Angela Merkel who was previously pro-nuclear, announced Germany would accelerate a nuclear phase-out, with older plants shuttered immediately.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine provided another plot twist.

Germany isn’t the only country committed to walking away from nuclear — Italy gave up the technology in 1990, and Lithuania recently struck a deal to dismantle its Soviet-era reactors, which have sat idle for over a decade. But in many advanced economies, nuclear is experiencing a resurgence.

On Sunday, Finland will start regular power production at Europe’s newest and biggest reactor. The 1,600-megawatt Olkiluoto-3 unit that faced years of delays had been planned to enter commercial production on Monday. France is planning to build at least six new reactors by 2050 as well as experiment with smaller, modular ones. The UK has similar ambitions. And even in Japan, after a decade of paralysis following the nuclear accident in Fukushima, the public is warming up to the use of nuclear power. The Japanese government wants to restart reactors that have sat idle since the disaster and to extend the lifespan of existing units.

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Germany's energy grid has adapted to the loss of nuclear power by significantly increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources, which now account for nearly 40% of electricity generation, while also temporarily increasing coal-fired power generation to address gaps in supply caused by the nuclear phase-out and the energy crisis exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Title:

Content: The energy crisis is in front of us, Germany is opening up new sources of energy, cutting subsidies and moving forward.
Central News Agency
Germany is facing the coldest season of the year. In October, Prime Minister Olaf Scholz ordered three nuclear power plants to be shut down by the end of the year to be extended for four months, reflecting the urgency of the energy crisis.
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Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany is eager to get rid of its dependence on Russian energy and adopt a three-way strategy of opening up sources, cutting costs and subsidizing.
At present, as long as the cold does not take too long, Germany is expected to survive this winter safely, and not fall into the dilemma of energy supply shortage.
First of all, in the part of the open source, because the Russian natural gas transported by natural gas pipes may be interrupted at any time, and can no longer be trusted, Germany switched to Norway, Qatar, and the United States to buy liquefied natural gas, and on the eve of winter, natural gas reserves have reached 100% of the target.
Germany originally did not have its own LNG receiving station and could only import it from neighboring countries.
A month after Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany rushed to build a receiving station at a rare rate, and is expected to open early next year, which is expected to significantly increase natural gas imports.
Due to the shortage of natural gas, Germany switched to coal-fired power generation and temporarily accepted an increase in carbon emissions.
According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, the share of thermal power in total power generation increased to 31% in the first half of this year, an increase of 4% over the same period last year.
At the end of the day, renewable energy is the fundamental way to get rid of the dependence on fossil energy, which is recognized by all countries in Europe.
According to a report by environmental think tank Ember, in the six months since the outbreak of the war, the European Union's renewable energy generation has reached a new high, and France, Italy, Poland and other countries have recorded historical records.
Wind and solar power together account for nearly 40% of Germany ’ s electricity generation, compared to 12% from 18% in the same period last year.
As for curtailment, since July, the spotlight on the historic facade of the capital Berlin has been completely shut down at night. Since September, the heating of the national public authorities can only be turned on to 19 degrees, and the corridors are not even open, and people may have to wear coats to do things.
The government raised its voice and the private sector responded, the office heating will be completely cooled this winter, and people working indoors are best dressed in coats.
In the media, you can read about small steps that teach people to save energy, such as not setting the heating temperature too high, switching to water-saving lilies, washing hands with cold water, turning off electronics and not standing by.
In order to reduce the energy burden of the people, the German government has also introduced a subsidy called "firewall", with a total amount of up to 200 billion euros (about NT $6 trillion), which is expected to be implemented in the next two years.
The policy content is all-encompassing, including one-time energy subsidies, as well as the ceiling regulations on electricity prices and gas costs, and the public can profit as long as the amount of use does not exceed a certain amount.
Subsidies make people feel. In his October 20 address to Congress, Mr. Scholz expressed gratitude for the nation ’ s efforts to save energy: “We prepare early without fear of threats ” and“ liberate ourselves from dependence. ”
He stressed that the state will protect consumers and businesses from the impact of soaring energy prices, and there is no need for people to fear that they will not be able to pay their electricity and gas bills.
Thanks to automatic energy saving by the public and the industry, as well as a slightly higher average temperature this fall, Germany ’ s natural gas use in the past few weeks has been reduced by 30% compared to the same period in previous years, and it seems that the savings are working.
According to the official energy regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency), as long as the three LNG receiving stations are completed on schedule, the use of natural gas will be reduced by at least 20%, and there should be no shortage of supply in Germany this winter.
(Editor: Gao Zhaofen) 1111130
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However, the transition has led to challenges in energy distribution, particularly in transmitting renewable energy from northern regions to industrial hubs in the south, as grid infrastructure has not been sufficiently updated to accommodate the shift, resulting in inefficiencies and reliance on fossil fuels to stabilize the grid.

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How did the German model achieve an unbearable energy transition war across the sea?
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Environmental awareness, green energy production has always been regarded as the world's superior Germany, but because of a Ukrainian-Russian war, let the bright achievements behind the unfinished business, exposed to the world.
Is this general review of energy security, ignited by war, a crisis or a turning point for Germany, which rose from the ashes of World War II? Can Germany break through the status quo and turn into a new model for a sustainable economy in the future?
Or is it a death on the road to transformation? How can Taiwan find its future direction from this “energy transition war ”?
Just after Christmas, for many Dodd families, the most wanted Christmas gift may be a heat pump to make the whole family better through the winter.
Unlike the tens of millions of domestic heating systems in Germany that still use natural gas or oil as fuel, heat pumps are powered by electricity, which can be seen as "reverse air conditioning", which has a higher thermal conversion efficiency and symbolizes energy access at a lower price.
The energy crisis caused by the Russo-Ukrainian War has become a watershed in the price of energy in Germany.
The past dependence on Russia to import a large amount of cheap energy can not be returned, and the international carbon pricing mechanism is increasingly complete, which has led Germany to realize that only green energy is the way to reduce energy prices again.
The "Vision" team traveled to Germany, in-depth interviews and observed that the consensus that permeates German society today is: "There is not much time for the energy transition, and we must accelerate progress."
German Green Party MP Till Steffen, who visited Taiwan in 2022, told Visionary that "this' energy crisis' has accelerated the 'energy transition' and become a priority for the government."
German Economy Accelerates Greening, Renewable Energy Becomes National Security Foundation
This is not just a matter of paper. At the end of 2022, Germany inaugurated the country ’ s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
Germany decided last spring to build it, and it could be completed in a few months. “This is super fast for Germany, ” Steffen said.“ We need to scale up renewable energy at the same rate. ”
If you make decisions at the slow pace of your past habits, you won ’ t be able to achieve the goals you set. ”
In the past, far less ambitious than the Green Party ’ s liberal finance minister, Christian Lindner, has also designated renewable energy as “free energy ”, emphasizing its function to enhance Germany ’ s energy security and economic independence.
In this context, the two pillars of the energy transition, "switching to renewable energy" and "improving energy efficiency", have also become the top priorities of enterprises in the country.
Even the German machine tool manufacturer MAG, a pioneer of Industry 4.0, has re-examined energy conservation and is preparing to install solar panels on its plant.
“Many investment plans are being reevaluated because of higher energy prices, ” explains Sebastian Schoning, MAG ’ s head of Europe & Americas.“ Many investments that were previously unprofitable are now justified. ”
Solar panels that can be used for their own use and can be sold for electricity have been greatly shortened, and with tax incentives, large and small businesses and families have been selling out; installation technicians are so hot that waiting in line has become a new normal in the last few months.
Yen Chien-ho, general manager of the German branch of FSP, which has been operating solar energy storage business for more than six years from Taiwan, revealed that the green energy product line is already the main revenue of the company, and it is estimated that by 2023, solar related products can grow by 50%.
Quanhan also saw the business opportunities of green energy vehicles in Europe and decided to set up a new R & D center in Germany to attack customized charging devices.
Another Taiwanese company that has been working in Germany for ten years, Servo Press Co., Ltd. is also favored by European customers due to the fact that the product consumes about 50% less power than traditional presses, and is expected to double its business performance in 2023.
Germany has been driving the energy transition for decades. The driving force of this energy crisis is mainly reflected in the change of mentality and the re-calculation of business interests.
First, in terms of mentality, Germany used to import about 60% of its energy, and is more heavily dependent on cheap fossil fuels from Russia.
However, when energy is no longer so readily available, it has also greatly changed the German society's view of energy: in the past, everyone saw renewable energy as a threat to the stability of electricity supply, and now it is an important basis for protecting national security.
Second, in the eyes of enterprises, green energy has become the only energy source that can maintain long-term competitiveness.
"We all know that there is no future for fossil fuels," said Markus Rosenthal, director of government relations at the German Association for Energy Storage Systems. He cited the withdrawal of Allianz, Germany 's largest insurance company, and the active investment of major banks in decarbonization technology as examples. The effect of greening the German economy is greater than anyone else. "
Many may have heard of Germany ’ s Energiewende vision after the Fukushima disaster.
But such a concept has taken root in Germany ’ s anti-nuclear movement since the 1970s.
Since then, the Green Party movement has developed with the greatest political influence in the world.
GREEN ENERGY GREEN ENERGY CHALLENGE 1: Lack of work, insufficient capacity of Northern Power South
The Renewable Energy Act (EEG), which came into force in 2000, made Germany the first major economy to promote renewable energy.
Over the next 20 years, the proportion of renewable energy supply has grown significantly from 6% to 46%, and this remarkable achievement has become an international model case for promoting energy transformation.
However, the model of the period of peace seems to be unable to withstand the test of war, and Germany still fell into the dilemma of energy crisis in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine and the weaponization of energy are certainly uncontrollable factors.
But the German society's caution against nuclear energy has also made Germany more dependent on relatively clean natural gas during the period of phasing out coal.
“We are over-reliant on fossil fuels and the development of renewable energy over the past few years has been too slow, ” said Malte Kuper, energy and climate policy researcher at the German Institute for Economic Research (IW).“ We must accelerate the correction of the structural errors of energy policy over the past decade. ”
Wilhelm Kiewitt, Director of Energy Economics at 50Hertz, a German power grid company, said: “We are vigorously promoting the construction of renewable energy, but we have not updated the grid infrastructure and have not ensured that the design of the electricity market is compatible.
As a result, the energy transition is not doing well. ”
Wind power located on the northern coast of Germany has so far been difficult to reach the industrial heartland of the south because the government has spent too much time coordinating with the residents of the south to accept high-voltage cables cutting through their beautiful landscapes.
The lack of capacity of Northern Power South has become a key missing piece in the German energy puzzle.
In addition, the political lobbying power of fossil fuel companies and strict regulations on onshore wind power have also slowed down the pace of transformation in Germany.
A few months ago, there was a demolition of nearby windmills to expand coal mines in North Wales. Although the efficiency of these windmills was low and they were expected to be rebuilt and upgraded, environmentalists criticized this as a retrograde policy in the midst of the energy crisis.
But the lack of urgency may be the key factor in Germany ’ s gradual deviation from its goal.
According to the German government ’ s 2021 forecast, all sectors, from energy, industry and agriculture, will not be able to meet the 2030 climate goals on the basis of current carbon reduction actions.
In terms of new technology, even if Germany began hydrogen energy research more than 30 years ago, it has not been able to enter the expansion.
Thomas Hilig, founder of THEnergy in Germany and a hydrogen energy consultant, pointed out that “we have studied hydrogen energy thoroughly and want to know everything. ”
But it may be possible to start expanding sooner.
Indeed, now is the time to launch the app. ”
The impact of high energy prices and increasingly extreme weather have become a reality in Germany, forcing the country, accustomed to sound and prudent action, to admit its mistakes and shortcomings and accelerate the progress of the energy transition.
The question is, is it in time?
Opening a recent German newspaper will find that a crisis is not necessarily a turning point.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 99% of the total number of German enterprises, are struggling, and many companies may not be able to survive.
A survey of companies released by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) in the summer of 2022 shows that due to high energy prices, 1 / 4 of enterprises have completed the deployment of production reduction, 1 / 4 have reduced the scale of operations, and the remaining half have not yet begun to act, and are still thinking about the corresponding steps.
At present, the German government has finalized a nearly 100 billion euro energy bill subsidy plan, but Asha Maria Sharma, deputy director of digital services at the Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, believes that financial subsidies are only part of the solution, companies must think about how to use AI, data analysis and other technologies to save energy, in order to remain competitive in the future when energy prices are higher.
However, the resources and financial power of SMEs are not as good as those of multinational enterprises, and it is not easy to face inflation, interest rate hikes, the impact on the dollar exchange rate and energy prices, and to devote more efforts to long-term investment layout.
For example, when the Covid-19 pandemic spread, Alexander Krug, the public relations manager in charge of the Berlin Digital Center for SMEs, observed that about a third of SMEs were suspending or even cancelling strategic digital investments that would bear fruit in the medium to long term.
Moreover, in the global semiconductor shortage, many small and medium-sized enterprises are competing for similar chips with the government-supported renewable energy industry, as well as Germany ’ s powerful automotive industry.
In terms of money and resources, it is difficult to win.
Cooper said that in the long term, the energy crisis can be an accelerator of the energy transition.
But for an industrial powerhouse like Germany, which has a high proportion of energy-intensive industries, there is also a risk that “industry may decline before the green energy transition is complete. ”
Many homes waiting for solar panel technicians to install their doors also reveal another risk: lack of work.
“If you ask a business, what ’ s the biggest question about operations? Almost every time the answer is, ‘ We need people. ’ ”
Especially in the areas of green energy and digital technology, which are crucial to driving transformation, there is a particular lack of technical talent.
Many countries in Europe have a shortage of jobs.
However, in the manufacturing sector, more than 40% of enterprises in Germany are understaffed.
In comparison, France is less than 25%, and Italy and Spain are less than 10%.
Even the director of the German public broadcaster said recently: "We have to recruit people from all over the world... even the German level of the candidates is not so important."
As long as I work hard, I don ’ t worry too much that they can only speak a few words of German. ”
GREEN ENERGY GREEN ENERGY CHALLENGE 2: Higher energy costs, the United States proposed a bill to reduce inflation and siphon off international investment
The evolution of the international situation has also made the adverse situation worse.
The European war is still raging, the epidemic is still hazy, and the tensions between the United States and China have caused Germany, formerly the beneficiary of free trade and international supply chains, to reverse the situation and increase the pressure.
In particular, in August 2022, the United States passed the $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act, proposing a simpler and more attractive subsidy specification than the European Union, which is likely to siphon off more international investment at a time when Germany urgently needs to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy.
Some scholars wonder whether Germany will be able to complete the energy transition that it failed to achieve during a period of relative stability in the face of many challenges.
Only recently did Germany significantly expand public spending to help society weather the epidemic. To date, it has allocated more than 260 billion euros in response to the energy crisis.
This is almost 7% of national GDP, well above the EU average of 83 billion euros.
Meanwhile, Germany is still trying to boost its defense budget to 2% of GDP.
Even if the money is relatively abundant, it is also pressure.
Reinhard Biedermann, a professor in the Department of Global Political Economy at Tamkang University, pointed out that to develop enough renewable energy to replace traditional energy sources requires a lot of investment, manpower and even land, which Germany cannot do at the same time.
“The energy crisis is really an opportunity to expand renewable energy.
But turning the crisis into a turning point is not so simple.
Germany depends not only on imports of fossil fuels, but also on imports of renewable energy.
After the decline of the German solar industry, about 95% of the domestic solar cells are manufactured in China.
Nordex shut down Germany ’ s last wind turbine turnstile plant in June 2022, taking into account costs, causing observers to worry that the wind energy industry may be heading toward a fate similar to that of the solar industry.
Steffen said that due to competition from China, the German solar industry has lost a lot of intellectual and political power, and now is the time to reinvigorate the domestic solar value chain.
“We still have capacity in wind energy, but we can ’ t find a market in our country because Chinese products are cheaper, ” Steffen said.
In some ways, the energy crisis is just beginning.
As the Visionary team rode a high-speed rail at a speed of nearly 300 kilometers across the edge of Germany ’ s beloved forest, they were greeted by rotating fans, solar panels laid on the roof of the building, and high-voltage power towers that transmit electricity over a long distance.
This has gradually become a familiar daily scene in German society.
At this point, it may be seen as an important milestone in the final completion of Germany ’ s energy transition, but it may also be the starting point for the decline of German industry.
Looking back at the challenges of the pandemic, companies in Dodd all agree that agility, flexibility and flexibility are essential skills to survive in the current changing environment.
In particular, German industry contributes more than a quarter of the country ’ s GDP, which is higher than developed countries such as France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
But strengthening the high-priced “Made in Germany ” brand with performance, quality and stability is threatened by higher energy costs.
Steffen acknowledged that many Dodd companies use cheap Russian energy to produce and then sell their products at high prices to the U.S. and mid-market.
This is similar to the common pattern in Taiwan.
Taiwan 's green energy students > risk assessment first, transformation needs to think about the overall order
Sucheta Govil, chief commercial officer of Covestro, observed that energy is already a global issue and resource constraints are becoming the foreseeable future. “Even if you are in Asia, energy prices are still cheap, but price increases are reflected in the supply chain. ”
This advantage is diluted by rising raw material costs, even if Germany considers itself to be of excellent mechanical engineering quality. ”
Even if Germany has only recently begun to cope with the energy crisis, the effectiveness of the policy measures will have to wait for time to prove, and there are still lessons for Taiwan.
First, understand your energy security and independence and conduct a risk assessment.
Leonard believes that encouraging energy conservation by raising energy prices and using this income to invest more in renewable energy is worth considering.
“Explaining to people the higher energy costs they pay will help develop renewable energy and improve energy security. ”
Second, think about the sequence of measures for the energy transition as a whole, and put limited resources in the right place at the right time.
Hans-Joachim Ziesing, a former energy transition consultant for Germany ’ s Future Energy Plan, shared that one of Germany ’ s mistakes was to set a good goal and vision before developing policies to be achieved.
A better approach might be to take a practical approach, clarify the quantitative benefits that each policy can bring, and determine that cross-party consensus can be reached to move forward together.
It is also important to continuously monitor the performance of data and to be accountable to all departments.
Hiliger observed that Germany ’ s national hydrogen energy strategy in 2020 shows that officials have learned from the siting of renewable energy and energy transportation.
“Many projects take production and consumption into account as a whole, for example, by making good use of existing construction, refurbishing natural gas pipelines to become hydrogen pipelines, rather than placing electrolytic tanks next to wind power plants. ”
Preparing businesses and citizens to move away from fossil fuels
Finally, it is the continuation of the momentum of social change.
In the past, Germany saw natural gas as a “bridging energy ” to connect fossil fuels with renewable energy; now, losing its main source of natural gas imports, it has had to restart coal plants and lease liquid-gas receiving stations.
After doing so, it may be harder to get rid of them in the future.
Ideally, when the hydrogen energy market matures, Germany can renovate this batch of liquid natural gas receiving stations into hydrogen energy receiving stations.
But the two are different energy sources after all, and the renovation will be another expense.
Whether it can be developed according to the plan is still uncertain.
After the government finalizes the energy subsidy policy, from the beginning of 2023 to April 2024, 80% of the bill will be protected by the price cap, and users will only pay 20% of the current price.
This will change people ’ s interest.
How to make good use of the incentive mechanism to encourage society to continue to promote energy conservation and transformation at the household, business and infrastructure levels is also a big test.
Although Taiwan, which has a higher industrial share than Germany, has yet to personally feel the waves of the European energy crisis, it will be crucial to be as prepared and adapted as possible to the future of higher fossil fuel prices before the price protection umbrella for long-term contracts ends.
Read more articles from Visionary Magazine:
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Germany's first nuclear-free winter saw increased dependence on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, leading to higher carbon emissions and economic strain, with industrial electricity demand falling due to elevated energy costs.

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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

Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power have been prioritized to replace nuclear energy, with renewables currently accounting for 41% of the national energy mix and targeted to meet 80% of energy demand by 2030.

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Content: World

Berlin against, Rome is silent, Paris in favor. Nuclear power explodes in the EU

Germany closed three reactors in 2021 and plans to do the same with the other three in 2022. Belgium shares the same idea, “shut down” its seven plants by 2025. Spain, which has some reactors in operation as well, does not consider them “green” at all. Luxembourg dismisses the proposal to include the atom in the green taxonomy as a “provocation”. Austria of the atom does not want to know, with 82% of its primary energy production made from renewables (data 2019), and is studying a legal action against the Commission. France is delighted to see nuclear power (77% of its domestic production) taken into account by Brussels. Italy, which is fond of Minister Cingolani’s idea of increasing its gas extractions, is currently silent and at least hopes for a golden rule to exclude “green” investments from the calculation of the deficit. A few days after the publication of the draft of the European Commission on the green taxonomy, the distances between the 27 instead of narrowing, are widening and if yesterday they seemed divided, today they show themselves to be shattered.

The definition of the green taxonomy is fundamental in orienting investments: with the “green” stamp, industrial and infrastructure projects can be much more attractive for private capital. However, the decision to include nuclear and gas in the EU’s green taxonomy has met with harsh criticism already in recent weeks, when rumors had not yet taken the form of a draft Commission. The technicians from Brussels and the team of experts who collaborated in the drafting of the central document for the definition of the EU energy planning in the context of the Green New Deal tried to circumvent the foreseeable resistance by introducing some conditions for the two sources that are not neutral with respect to the climate and the environment. Nuclear and gas, first of all, will be considered compatible with the green taxonomy only for a defined period of time and “to the extent that they contribute to the transition towards climate neutrality and do not significantly damage the environment”, according to an official of Brussels. “The Commission sees the future energy mix as a predominantly renewable or low-carbon energy system. We really hope that this proposal will help bring about the change we need and channel private funding towards low-emission energy sources ”.

In fact, it means that investments in nuclear power will be “green” only if the projects presented have a well defined plan, funds and site for the disposal of radioactive waste in total safety. Building permits will only be allowed until 2045. It is worth remembering that at the moment there is still talk of third generation or third plus nuclear power. Not the fourth, the (slag-free) fusion that experts believe may have a role on an industrial scale no earlier than the middle of the century. As for gas, investments in power plants will be green only if they contribute to emissions of less than 270 grams of CO2 equivalent per kWh and replace more polluting fossil fuel plants. They will need to obtain a building permit before 2030.

On gas, the Commission’s conditions appear much more stringent. It is a non-solid fossil source, certainly less polluting than coal and to which Italy looks with interest, having unused methane deposits. Moreover, in a European context of high prices and constant reduction of supplies from the main supplier, Russia, for reasons of a geopolitical nature. But it is on nuclear power that the clash risks worsening at the community level.

“We believe nuclear technology is dangerous,” government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin, noting that the question of what to do with the radioactive waste remains unresolved. Hebestreit added that Germany “expressly rejects” the EU assessment on atomic energy and has repeatedly affirmed this position towards the Commission. Germany is now considering the next steps to take. Germany is set to shut down the remaining three nuclear power plants later this year and phase out coal by 2030, while its neighbor France aims to modernize existing reactors and build new ones to meet energy needs. Berlin plans to rely on natural gas until it can be replaced by non-polluting energy sources. The opposite paths taken by two of the EU’s largest economies have led to an embarrassing situation for the Commission. The draft EU executive branch concludes that both nuclear power and natural gas can be considered sustainable under certain conditions for investment purposes.

Hebestreit said the German government’s goal is to use natural gas only as a “bridge technology” and replace it with non-polluting alternatives such as hydrogen produced from renewable energy by 2045, the deadline the country has set for becoming climate neutral. . The spokesman did not say whether Chancellor Olaf Scholz supports the opinion of the Minister of Economy and Climate Robert Habeck that the European Commission’s proposals are a form of “greenwashing”.

Germany has pulled the plug on three of its last six nuclear power plants. The Brokdorf, Grohnde and Gundremmingen C reactors, operated by the E.On and Rwe utilities, were closed on December 31st after 35 years of operation. The last three nuclear power plants – Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim II – will be shut down by the end of 2022. However, closure does not mean decommissioning, which will take much longer and is expected to take place by 2040 in the case of Brokdorf, for example. .

In 2021, the six nuclear power plants contributed about 12% of electricity generation in Germany. The German energy mix consists of 41% renewables, 28% coal and 15% gas. By 2030, Germany aims to meet 80% of energy demand with renewables. This is not the case in France where – given Eurostat 2019 – 77.6% of its energy produced comes from the atom and only 20% from renewable.

Germany is not alone in the firm opposition to the proposal put forward by Brussels: the draft “is a provocation from a procedural point of view” and “in terms of content it hides the risk of greenwashing”, wrote on Twitter the Minister of Energy of the Luxembourg, Claude Turmes, saying he is ready to “examine the proposal in detail and discuss further steps” together with Germany and Austria, equally opposed to including nuclear power among sustainable investments. The proposal was sent to governments on Friday, “in a nocturnal and nebulous action. This says a lot about transparency ”, attacked Turmes.

The same tones used by Vienna: if these are the plans “we will sue”, wrote on Twitter the Austrian Federal Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Leonore Gewessler, highlighting that nuclear energy is “dangerous and not it represents a solution in the fight against the climate crisis ”. Austria has no reactors and produces almost all of its energy from renewable sources.

The Spanish government also rejected the European Commission’s proposal to include nuclear and natural gas energy in the EU’s “green” taxonomy. According to Madrid, this is “a step backwards” and “a wrong signal” for the financial markets. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, stressed that “regardless of whether we can continue to invest in one or the other, we believe they are not green or sustainable energies”. Spain – he added – “is a firm supporter of green taxonomy as a key tool to have common references that can be used by investors to achieve the decarbonisation of the economy and climate neutrality by 2050”, but include nuclear and gas “It would be a step backwards,” according to the government official Sanchez. “It makes no sense and sends the wrong signals for the European energy transition as a whole,” he stressed. While admitting that both nuclear power and natural gas have a role to play in the transition, this is “limited in time”. Member States have until 12 January to provide their response to the Commission. Then, once published, it will have to pass the scrutiny of the EU Council and Parliament, where the environmentalist parties are also announcing a battle.

In 2019, France was the country that produced the largest share of energy in the EU (20% of the total), followed by Germany (17%), Poland (9.6%), Italy and Sweden (6%). ). However, the debate on green taxonomy is intertwined with energy security (or sovereignty) in a particular historical phase, marked by risks to the security of supply due to geopolitical and military reasons, as shown by the tensions on the Ukrainian border. Primary energy production in the EU in 2019 was distributed among various energy sources, the most important of which in terms of the size of its contribution were renewables, with over a third (36.5%) of the total. Second place for nuclear power, with 32.0% of total primary energy production, with France in the lead, followed by Belgium (77% of domestic production in 2019) which, however, is about to abound in nuclear power like Germany. However, all European energy production is not enough to meet its needs: more than half of Europe’s energy is imported. The EU energy dependency rate exceeds 50%.

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Editor-in-Chief, James loves playing games and loves to write about them more. He knows a lot about entertainment because he has done a drama course. James loves writing, so he is our writer. email: james@d1softballnews.com

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Wind energy has emerged as a key driver of renewable energy growth in Germany, contributing 38.5% of electricity production in the first quarter of 2024, making it the largest renewable contributor to the energy mix.

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Why Chinese technology set off alarm bells in Germany

Dirk Kaufmann
July 17, 2024

Even as the German government moves to bar components made by China's Huawei and ZTE from core parts of the country's 5G networks, some German companies are looking to work with Chinese firms in other critical areas.

https://p.dw.com/p/4iJMf

On July 11, the German Interior Ministry (BMI) announced that by the end of 2026 components made by Chinese technology companies Huawei and ZTE "must no longer be used" in building up the country's next-generation 5G mobile networks. Already existing components, the BMI decided, "must be replaced by the end of 2029."

The German government considers 5G networks "critical infrastructure" because they are crucial for the energy sector, transportation, health care, and financial services.

The ban comes as Chinese technology firms are increasingly viewed with suspicions for their allegedly too close ties to the government in Beijing. Especially Beijing's drive to make companies like Huawei and ZTE world leaders in high-tech sectors makes Western governments wary of giving them too much influence on their national infrastructures.

Germany must no longer 'sit on the fence' over Huawei

Wind power market becomes new battlefield

Meanwhile, another German-Chinese collaboration has caused a stir in this respect. Luxcara — an independent asset manager based in Hamburg, Germany, — announced it had contracted Chinese company Ming Yang to build the turbines for a wind project off the German coast.

"The decision for Ming Yang was based on an extensive due diligence exercise, covering the supply chain, ESG [environmental, social, and governance] compliance aligned with the EU taxonomy and cyber security supported by independent experts from renowned international advisors," the company said in a statement on July 2.

Energy supply is also considered critical infrastructure in Germany, as the country strives to generate 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2035, with wind power expected to be a significant part of the future electricity mix. Official German data show that in the first three months of this year, 38.5% of all electricity produced in Germany came from wind power. No other renewable energy source has grown as significantly as wind power.

Lars Haugwitz, senior consultant at Luxcara, says Luxcara "chose the most powerful turbines" for their Waterkant wind park project. "Ming Yang was the only company that could meet the delivery time by 2028 with an 18.5-megawatt unit," he told DW, adding that the decision was based on a thorough review of all the offers they'd received during the international tender.

With a little help from Beijing

So far, Danish company Vestas and German-Spanish manufacturer Siemens Gamesa have dominated offshore wind power in Europe. However, other German wind-farm operators are now also considering Chinese companies as suppliers.

According to German business daily Handelsblatt, energy giant RWE is among them, with the newspaper citing limited supply of wind turbines in Europe and high demand as reasons.

In a statement, the Essen, Germany-based utility said it has no Chinese suppliers in its wind portfolio so far and was planning to continue working with established European suppliers. However, a company spokesperson told DW that the offshore industry needs to understand "what products Asian suppliers can offer and whether they meet the requirements in terms of technology, quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness."

There are several reasons why companies from Asia are often leading in new technologies, says Michael Tenten, managing director of Pure ISM, a company focused on data security in the renewable energy sector. They were "mostly economic," he told DW, with "faster availability of the equipment" being the main one.

However, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) in Germany found that in 2022 more than 99% of China's listed companies also received direct state subsidies, and enjoyed easier access to critical raw materials, forced technology transfer in joint ventures, and assistance in public procurement processes.

China's carmaker BYD, for example, has become the world's leading electric-vehicle manufacturer after receiving particularly high subsidies. IfW research director Dirk Dohse told Handelsblatt recently. It also benefited from subsidies for battery production and subsidized components.

"Although European industries often cannot compete with Chinese prices, without China's subsidized technology, products needed for Germany's green transformation would be more expensive and scarcer," Dohse said.

Data leaks a security risk?

Pure ISM's Michael Tenten though, sees another reason for mistrust toward Chinese suppliers: data security.

"Manufacturers usually operate their own control centers to monitor the wind farms they build. As long as these control centers are not located in Germany, there is always a risk of unwanted influence on operations from abroad," he said, adding that he is not aware of any Chinese manufacturer currently planning or intending to set up its own control center in Germany.

For Luxcara's Lars Haugwitz such a risk is rather theoretical as there will be "no direct data link" between the German offshore wind park and the Chinese turbine manufacturer. "Control, operation, and maintenance of the turbines will be entirely conducted in Germany."

This article was originally written in German.

Germany is also investing in green hydrogen as a complementary renewable energy source, leveraging its significant offshore wind capacity to produce hydrogen for sectors where direct electrification is not feasible.

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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 is a dual role of clean and efficient energy storage carriers. By converting wind, solar and nuclear energy into hydrogen energy, renewable energy can be stored and transported on a large scale across seasons, becoming the best overall solution in the current new energy field.
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.
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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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Following the nuclear phase-out, coal and natural gas have become critical components of Germany's energy mix, with natural gas serving as a transitional energy source until renewable energy infrastructure is fully developed, despite its reliance on imports from Russia and other suppliers for short-term stability.

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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.
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"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)

This increased reliance on coal and gas has raised concerns about Germany's ability to meet its carbon neutrality goals, as higher emissions from these sources have been estimated to impose social costs of $12 billion annually.

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Content: 'Sustainability challenges' What Big Oil, green movement conceal from us

The US funds its military aid to Ukraine with tax dollars and some of America’s allies fund Putin’s military with purchases of his oil and gas exports. And that’s the absurdity that has come to define the Russian invasion
Representative image

NEW YORK: It has long been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. By that definition, we’re the ones detached from reality if we keep accepting what the oil industry and the green movement keep telling us over and over again and expecting a different result. The greens keep saying that because the price of wind and solar is now as cheap as, or cheaper than, fossil fuels, they’ve won the energy war. Game, set, match — welcome to the green planet.

The oil companies say — as they have in each previous energy crisis since 1973 — that the only answer to this energy crisis is the one they’ve offered for the past 49 years: drill, baby, drill. Welcome to reality. Well, they’re both wrong, and accepting the repetition of either of these tired shibboleths is hurting us economically, environmentally and geopolitically — especially, of late, geopolitically.

Because our continued addiction to fossil fuels is bolstering Vladimir Putin’s petrodictatorship and creating a situation where we in the West are — yes, say it with me now — funding both sides of the war. We fund our military aid to Ukraine with our tax dollars and some of America’s allies fund Putin’s military with purchases of his oil and gas exports.

And if that’s not the definition of insanity, then I don’t know what is. Have no illusion — these sins of the green movement and the oil industry are not equal. The greens are trying to fix a real, planet-threatening problem, even if their ambition exceeds their grasp. The oil and coal companies know that what they are doing is incompatible with a stable, healthy environment. Yes, they are right that without them there would be no global economy today. But unless they use their immense engineering talents to become energy companies, not just fossil fuel companies, there will be no livable economy tomorrow.

Let’s look at both. For too long, too many in the green movement have treated the necessary and urgent shift we need to make from fossil fuels to renewable energy as though it were like flipping a switch — just get off oil, get off gasoline, get off coal and get off nuclear — and do it NOW, without having put in place the kind of transition mechanisms, clean energy sources and market incentives required to make such a massive shift in our energy system.

It’s Germany in 2011, suddenly deciding after the Fukushima accident to phase out its 17 relatively clean and reliable nuclear reactors, which provided some 25 percent of the country’s electricity. This, even though Germany had nowhere near enough solar, wind, geothermal or hydro to replace that nuclear power. So now it’s burning more coal and gas.

A 2019 working paper for the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research found that in Germany “the lost nuclear electricity production due to the phaseout was replaced primarily by coal-fired production and net electricity imports. The social cost of this shift from nuclear to coal is approximately $12 billion per year. Over 70 percent of this cost comes from the increased mortality risk associated with exposure to the local air pollution emitted when burning fossil fuels.”

Today, the European Union is drawing up a plan to break its addiction to Russian oil and gas by 2027, but, in the meantime, Putin is laughing all the way to the bank. As CNN reported in April, citing a report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air: “Russian revenues from fossil fuel exports to the European Union soared during the first two months of the Ukraine invasion” — to $46.3 billion. That was more than double the value of Russian energy imported by the E.U. during the same two-month period a year earlier.

That was not because the E.U.’s volume of imports doubled. Higher oil and gas prices accounted for most of that increase. In other words, Putin starts a war that creates instability, which drives up oil prices, so he makes twice as much money exporting roughly the same amount of oil.

While Germany jumped off nuclear before it had a safety net of sufficient clean alternatives, at least it has been on a serious, path-defining quest to get them. Indeed, the whole world owes Germany a huge debt for driving down the price of solar panels and wind turbines through the subsidies and tax incentives it created. In Germany, wind turbines, solar panels and other renewables covered 54 percent of power consumption this past January and February — which is AMAZING. In 2021, renewable energy sources accounted for only about 12 percent of total U.S. energy that was consumed.

Still, the most important delusion of the green movement today — of which I am a proud, if grouchy, member — is telling itself that because the price of wind and solar technology has fallen so low now that it can beat coal and natural gas in most markets, often even without subsidies, it’s “game over” for fossil fuels. I wish. Price is only half the story.

If you can’t install the transmission lines — to get that sun and wind power from the vast open spaces where it is generated to the big urban areas where it is needed — and if you cannot set aside more land to install the scale of solar and wind farms you need to replace coal, gas or nuclear, it doesn’t matter that your renewables are cheaper on a per-kilowatt-hour basis.

And today transmission is a huge problem in the U.S. and Europe, where many people don’t want wind farms, solar fields, electricity lines — or natural gas pipelines — in their backyard. I wish this were not the case, but there is no immaculate pathway from brown energy to green energy. The road is paved with cruel trade-offs. Pick your poison — but grow up. Meanwhile, ever since the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the big oil companies have basically said in each successive crisis: Sure, we need more clean energy, but you have to understand — it doesn’t scale. Right now, we’re in an emergency, so we just need to drill more. You hear the same refrain today, which is why we’re in danger of wasting yet another oil crisis and never breaking our fossil fuel addiction.

For those oil companies sitting on large natural gas deposits — which are needed in this transition because gas is cleaner than coal — it means tapping those deposits but doing so with zero methane leakage; otherwise gas becomes as bad as coal. But it also means thinking much more seriously about how fossil fuel companies truly make the transition to become “energy companies,” not just oil companies, so they can leverage their amazing pools of engineering talent to provide more energy solutions that save the planet, not warm it.

Friedman is an Opinion Columnist with NYT©2022

The New York Times

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Germany's dependence on natural gas, exacerbated by the loss of nuclear power, has made its energy market vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war, which has disrupted gas supplies and forced Germany to accelerate renewable energy development while keeping coal-fired plants as a reserve option.

Title:

Content: The role of gas in Germany ’ s energy mix will continue to grow.
This was stated to the correspondent of IA REGNUM on January 31 by the Director of the Center for Financial Policy of the Department of Public Finance of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Vadim Ponkratov.
Gas production
Gazprom.ru
“Germany ’ s energy sector has been severely crippled by the abandonment of coal generation and the forced closure of nuclear power plants, ” he said. – RES are weather-dependent and must be supported by a significant reserve of traditional generating capacities capable of smoothing out peaks in electricity consumption.
All this is superimposed on the growth of demand for electricity due to the electrification of transport and the reduction in the use of oil and gas processing products as fuel.
"Green" generation is already significantly more expensive than traditional, and taking into account the need to reserve significant capacities of thermal power plants, which is several times more expensive than a simple uniform use, as a result, a serious increase in the cost of electricity unwinds an inflationary spiral. "
According to him, the main measures to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies that Germany will take are: diversification of types of energy resources and their suppliers; expansion of generation based on renewable energy sources; stimulation of inter-fuel competition; creation and commercial introduction of new technologies based on achievements of science and technology; further development of energy and resource saving programs.
“But all these are expensive measures, and even the largest economy of the European Union, Germany will be extremely difficult to find resources for this in the context of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the need for large-scale stimulation of economic development.
It is much easier to ensure economic growth on the basis of stable supplies of Russian energy resources with understandable and predictable price parameters, ” said Ponkratov.
Recall, as reported by IA REGNUM, there is a forecast that Germany will systematically reduce the use of petroleum products and refuse to supply oil from Russia.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has significantly disrupted Germany's natural gas imports, as Russian supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline have decreased by 60%, leading to heightened energy scarcity and price volatility across the European Union.

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Content: What is the status of the global energy market four months after the war in Ukraine?
What is the status of the global energy market four months after the war in Ukraine?
Russia ’ s war in Ukraine has entered its fifth month, complicating the global energy supply situation at a time when energy security in the European Union is at stake.
Energy, especially natural gas, is now a scarce commodity in many countries within the European Union, German Energy Minister Robert Habeck said last week.
His comments did not come out of thin air, as Russian gas supplies to EU countries via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline are now 60 percent lower than at the beginning of June.
More than 10 European countries are suffering from a shortage of Russian gas supplies as the European Commission seeks to find a variety of energy sources.
Other suppliers, however, are committed to long-term contracts with consumers, most of whom are outside the bloc.
Energy security in many European countries looks set to face a bleaker future, with Russia ’ s Gazprom announcing that it will carry out maintenance on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline this month.
This means that the gas will eventually stop to Germany, and from there to some other countries.
The announcement was met with European skepticism, with Minister Habik saying on Monday that the maintenance is only a Russian pretext to justify cutting off gas and putting pressure on countries that rely on its supplies.
Natural gas prices are six times higher than a year ago, now reaching a peak in October, when the bloc raced to fill gas storage facilities as winter approached.
European leaders have not stopped visiting Africa, Asia and the Gulf countries in search of other supplies in the form of liquefied gas, but any alternative supplies need time to prepare the infrastructure.
Before the war, Europe imported 176 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, accounting for 40 percent of its total needs.
Compared to gas, the security of crude oil supplies is less uncertain.
But oil prices have affected various countries of the world without exception, due to increased demand and the search for alternatives to Russian gas.
Currently, the price of a barrel of oil is around $113, up 45 percent from its prices at the end of 2021, with research institutions expecting it to surpass that level by the fourth quarter of 2022.
Russia produces about 10.5 million barrels per day.
Most of its exports go to Asian markets, led by China and India – the world ’ s first and third largest crude oil importers.
As Western countries restrict Russia ’ s oil exports, there is a growing need for alternative supplies, which are difficult to obtain due to the lack of spare production capacity of other major producers.
On Monday, OPEC + said it would stick only to oil production increases previously scheduled for next month, but avoided discussing production policy from September onwards.
This is due to the inability of group members to pump more crude directly to meet rising demand.
As a result of all of the above, European countries, led by Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands and soon Italy, returned to the use of coal in power generation, by reopening coal-fired plants that were scheduled to be closed.
Coal demand has risen globally since June, with the exception of Russia, where the bloc is trying to avoid imports.
A return to coal as a fuel calls into question industrialised countries ’ plans to achieve global carbon neutrality targets for 2030-2050.
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Germany's reliance on Russian natural gas, which previously accounted for over half of its imports, has forced the country to urgently diversify its energy sources, including restarting coal-fired plants and accelerating the construction of liquefied natural gas terminals, though these measures are not immediate solutions.

Title:

Content: Geopolitics / Ukraine
The Ukraine War Affects Germany ’ s Energy Strategy
Russia ’ s war on Ukraine forced Germany to overhaul its energy strategy.
Berlin has urgently started the construction of two previously abandoned LNG terminals.
This is the subject of a field interview published by our RFI correspondent in the French "Chronique Reportage International" column on Thursday, March 3rd.
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In an interview published on Thursday, March 03, 2022 in Chronique Reportage International, correspondent Julien Méchaussie reported from Berlin that Germany, which imports more than 50% of its natural gas and relies on Russian supplies, is now forced to review its energy strategy from the bottom up.
In the face of the inevitable price increase, the people are very worried.
The original title of this RFI column in French was: [Guerre en Ukraine: les conséquences sur l'appropriationnement en gaz russe pour l'Allemagne].
The war in Ukraine: consequences of Russian gas supplies for Germany.
Below is a brief summary for information.
The German people are upset -
In a live interview from Berlin published Thursday in Chronique Reportage International, RFI ’ s French-language network, a passer-by said in German on his way to work that the outbreak of the war in Ukraine had caused a decades-old energy policy to collapse in a matter of days.
Rising energy prices are not good for anyone.
This is not good for the job market, which automatically leads to price increases for all products.
People will be afraid of huge inflation, and the impact on the economy is tragic.
Here, the RFI French correspondent pointed out that the fear of the passer-by interviewed represents many German people.
In Germany, which has a long history of importing Russian gas, Prime Minister Olaf Scholz announced the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
The pipeline linking northern Germany to Russia via the Baltic Sea was completed in September 2021.
The project has now come to a halt. Nord Stream 2 declared bankruptcy this week and more than 100 of its collaborators lost their jobs.
There were signs before the war -
A well-known professor of environmental and resource economics called Germany naive.
He said that at the beginning of this winter, the wind has turned around.
Before the war, Russian gas exports to Germany had dropped to their lowest level in months.
Despite the record price, it is now good to see that this is clearly part of the overall strategy of the Russian side.
German Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Economy and Climate Robert Habeck plans to increase coal imports.
The German Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises has called for an extension of the deadline for coal abandonment, which was decided at the end of last year.
Germany, now seeking to diversify its energy supply, will turn to countries like the United States and Qatar.
But the problem is that these countries are now exporting liquefied natural gas, and Germany has no corresponding terminal to be docked.
Experts interviewed pointed out that Germany is in urgent need of new liquefied natural gas terminals.
However, it takes three to four years to build a terminal.
Of course people can do it as quickly as possible, but this new strategy is not a very short-term solution.
We need to rely on existing infrastructure.
Once the new terminal is put into use, the sky should clear up.
Germany launches old project -
Abandoned two years ago due to a lack of political support, two projects to build LNG terminals in the North Sea have now been urgently launched at a cost of around €1 billion.
... and...
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The energy supply instability caused by the war has led to economic repercussions, such as Germany's first trade deficit since 1991, driven by surging import costs for energy and raw materials, which are straining industrial production and overall economic stability.

Title:

Content: Germany: Engine of Europe

Germany's much-vaunted trade surplus disappears as import prices surge

Key Points
  • Data released Monday showed that in May, Germany posted a foreign trade deficit of 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion).
  • This marks a significant moment for the German economy, which had reported trade surpluses for several decades.
  • Bloomberg reported that 1991 was the last time the country reported a monthly trade deficit.
Germany trade entered negative territory in May, raising questions about the stability of its economy in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

Germany is no longer exporting more than what it buys from other countries, highlighting the strains that the nation and other European economies are facing from surging energy and food prices.

Data released Monday showed that in May, Germany posted a foreign trade deficit of 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion). This marks a significant moment for the German economy, which had reported trade surpluses for several decades. Bloomberg reported that 1991 was the last time the country reported a monthly trade deficit.

Its high level of exports had been an important economic driver and the trade surplus was even attacked by former President Donald Trump, who wanted Americans to buy more U.S.-made products.

"Germany's vaunted trade surplus is gone," Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, said in a note Tuesday, adding that "higher prices for imports of energy, food and materials are goosing up the import bill."

Germany's exports in the month of May were still 11.7% higher than a year ago, according to the country's statistics office, though 0.5% lower from the previous month.

However, the imports bill went up by 27.8% from a year ago and it was no longer offset by its sales abroad.

VIDEO5:3105:31
Germany not expected to allow the repricing of gas contracts until later this month, analyst says

Germany — just like many other European nations — has been paying more for energy and food, particularly in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia, a key exporter of energy into Europe, reduced gas flows to the bloc, bringing new insecurities to the energy market and driving up prices.

In addition, Ukraine, an important exporter of wheat and other food-related items, has not been able to send its products abroad at the same rate as before the war. Farmers are also not able to sow and plant at the same rate as before either — potentially driving up food prices when harvest time comes.

GDP contraction?

The latest data comes at a time when more and more economists are talking of a recession in Europe within the next 12 months. In fact, the euro dropped to its lowest level in two decades against the U.S. dollar Tuesday morning as more investors price in a higher chance of economic turmoil down the line.

Chris Scicluna and Emily Nicol, two economists at Daiwa Capital, said that Germany's first trade deficit since 1991 reflects price shifts and ongoing export weakness.

"With the annual pace of increase in German import prices in May (30.6%Y/Y) almost twice the rate of export prices (15.9%Y/Y), Germany's trade balance was always bound to deteriorate," they said in a research note Monday.

"However, adjusting for shifts in relative prices, ongoing weakness in export volumes, in part related to supply constraints, has also played a role."

They added that the data suggests there is a "strong likelihood" that net trade subtracted from German economic growth in the second quarter, "and adding to the risks that German GDP contracted last quarter."

Germany has implemented emergency measures to mitigate energy supply disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions with Russia, including increasing reliance on coal-fired power plants and introducing an auction system to incentivize industrial gas savings, while prioritizing the filling of gas storage facilities to ensure winter reserves.

Title:

Content: Germany takes emergency measures to secure gas supplies
BERLIN (AFP) - Germany on Sunday took emergency measures to secure its gas supplies in the face of declining Russian deliveries, including increased use of coal, the most polluting energy source.
Announcement
In a statement, the Ministry of Economy said: “In order to reduce gas consumption, less gas should be used to generate electricity.
Therefore, coal-fired power plants will have to be used more. ”
The decision marks a shift in the course of this coalition government, which includes a large number of environmentalists and has pledged to phase out coal by 2030.
The package of measures announced on Sunday includes an "auction" system for selling gas to industrialists, which, according to Berlin, will allow to reduce consumption in the German manufacturing sector.
"Bitter."
"It is bitter but necessary to reduce gas consumption," Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement, adding that a law should be passed by the beginning of the summer.
At the same time, he stressed that resorting to coal for power generation is a "temporary" measure in the face of the "deterioration" of the situation in the gas market.
The move comes as a response from the German government to Russian company Gazprom ’ s announcements of cutting gas shipments through the Nord Stream pipeline, against the backdrop of the confrontation between Western countries and Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Russian gas exports to Europe have fallen steadily since the start of sanctions against Russia, and Gazprom has halted gas deliveries to many European customers who refused to pay in rubles.
This decision had a significant impact on several European countries, especially Germany, Italy and France.
For Berlin, which still imports 35 percent of its gas from Russia, compared to 55 percent before the war, the situation is "serious," Habik said.
"We should have no illusions, we are in confrontation with Putin."
The government also wants to focus on energy savings, especially from manufacturers.
In mid-June, she launched a large-scale campaign targeting the general public and businesses to encourage society as a whole to adopt certain practices.
"We must do our best to reduce our consumption.
Industry is a key factor. ”
FILLING
Finally, Germany wants to focus on filling reservoirs.
The minister stressed that for the time being, "security of supply is guaranteed."
The reservoirs currently hold 56 percent of their maximum capacity, a level "above the average of recent years," he said, adding: "We have to do our best to store as much gas as possible in summer and autumn.
Gas tanks should be full for the winter.
That is the absolute priority. ”
Also on Sunday, the government announced the allocation of new funds from the public bank KfW to the main buyer of gas in Germany, Trading Hub Europe, to ensure the filling of gas reservoirs in the country.
At the end of April, the government passed a law requiring owners of reservoirs to have a minimum capacity of 90 percent by the beginning of December, subject to confiscation.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, Germany has been searching for new sources of supply, mainly American or Qatari liquefied gas.

The German government has also sought alternative energy sources by leasing floating LNG terminals, planning land-based LNG facilities, and negotiating with suppliers in the Middle East and North America to diversify its energy imports and reduce dependence on Russian gas.

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analysis

analysis: The government is celebrating the approval of its energy price cap bill, but plenty of work lies ahead

By Laura Tingle
Posted

In Berlin on Thursday, the German Parliament approved legislation to cap gas and electricity prices for consumers and companies.

After months of wrangling, European Union leaders are expected to release a statement on Monday finalising a price cap, and other measures, to deal with high energy prices.

The Germans have not done things by halves amid an energy crisis that has gripped the world's fourth largest economy after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia supplied 55 per cent of Germany's gas in 2021. Not only did it face the likelihood of losing that gas supply, it brought it on by halting the commissioning of a major gas pipeline from Russia.

Germany has subsequently transformed its energy policies to fill the gaps, both keeping some old technology in play (nuclear, coal and oil-fired power plants) but also vowing to accelerate its move into renewables.

It has nationalised a major energy supplier, Uniper, leased floating LNG terminals and announced it was going to build two land-based ones, and moved to accelerate the filling of gas storage tanks in time for winter.

Striking to Australian eyes in all this, however, is the singular focus in the German debate (and for that matter, the European one) on securing supply and some price protections.

Price relief, or a complicated world of pain?

Compare that with the Australian discussion in recent weeks which, at the retail and political level may have been about getting some price relief for households and business consumers, but at a wholesale one has morphed into a complicated world of pain for everyone about market regulation of energy producers.

Federal parliament approved a $12 cap on wholesale gas prices on Thursday, and the means to give people who receive income support additional subsidies.

The announced plan to cap coal prices at $125 still has to be handled by the states.

National Cabinet's deal on energy prices reflected the complexities of the way our energy markets are structured, but also made the politics a lot more interesting.

The federal government doesn't carry the political burden of getting involved in coal markets. The states, however, were locked into the deal, significantly reducing the chances of backlash if things don't go to plan.

Reflecting the chaotic way our resources extraction and production sectors are structured, there was a perfect shemozzle of politics and policy, federal-state relations, public versus private sector ownership issues, government revenue and company profits tied up in all of this.

On top of the shemozzle, the federal Opposition complained the government had tried to wedge it by linking the income support measures to a regulatory regime it doesn't like.

And all this noise helps explain why a relatively straightforward piece of legislation about a 12-month gas price cap has ended up being an unhappy episode which has seen share prices fall, companies pulling out of agreements to supply the domestic gas market and stall contract negotiations, and accusations that the federal government is engaged in 'Soviet' era market interventions.

Where did the government go wrong on energy cap?

It's not the immediate price cap that's the problem, but draft legislation, and a consultation paper released at the same time, about how the gas market might work in the future.

Now the huge windfall profits being made from soaring spot prices for gas don't exactly leave resources companies in a place where anyone feels sorry for them.

They are somewhat lucky the government hasn't hit them with a windfall tax, as many other nations have done.

Equally, many see merit in the argument that these are 'our' natural resources and we should not have to pay exorbitant prices for them.

So the resources companies have quite a problem in terms of the value of their social licence just now.

Even the business sector is split between those who back more intervention in the gas market, and those who don't.

But none of that quite explains why the Albanese Government, which has been at such pains to restore relationships with the business community, has taken the path it has.

Nor does it quite fit with the cautious and painstaking way it went about constructing a deal on energy prices in the first place – at the risk of criticism that it was taking too long.

A long-held disposition to howling that various government interventions represented the end of the world might give rise to scepticism about the resources sector's case.

But a cursory look at the language of the consultation paper, and the draft legislation, helps explain the problem.

Bill raises questions about Treasurer and ACCC's powers

The draft legislation gives the Treasurer the power to regulate "dealings between persons who supply or acquire gas, including negotiations and agreements between such persons; or require a person to supply gas in particular circumstances; or deal with resolving disputes between persons who supply or acquire gas".

By any reading of this, the bill would give sweeping powers to the Treasurer to control supply, demand and the price of the gas market in general, and to intervene in particular contracts.

The consultation paper argues that "current low levels of competition between producers, high prices and risks of supply shortages warrant the inclusion of a reasonable pricing provision within the code".

"A reasonable pricing provision would provide a basis for producers and buyers to negotiate domestic wholesale gas contracts at 'reasonable prices', which reflect the cost of domestic gas production, allowing for a reasonable return on capital.

"This provision is expected to remain as long required, and until the ACCC advises the Government that domestic gas prices are reflective of the underlying costs of production and that there is sufficient supply at these prices".

Ongoing arrangement needed: Chalmers

The government therefore raises a plethora of questions about the powers of both the Treasurer, and the ACCC, to judge market conditions and costs of production.

The suggestion is that, 'underneath' the legislation would be a regulatory code which was much more specific and constrained.

Indeed, Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Thursday suggested that all the government was after was a capacity to force buyers and sellers negotiating any specific deal to arbitration if things weren't going well.

"What we need here is an ongoing arrangement to make sure that if there are dud deals in the market, there's a way to arbitrate them", Chalmers told ABC radio.

In addition to the temporary $12 price cap, he said, "we need a set of arrangements which recognise that the market isn't working".

"It's not working when manufacturers are at risk of hitting the fence, it's not working when we get these extraordinary prices and so we need to have a mechanism where both sides of the relationship can access arbitration. The reasonable pricing framework will do that."

As Grattan Institute energy analyst Tony Wood said on Friday, the 'discussion' is now one in which both sides are sending missiles at each other through the public domain: as perilous as trying conduct a relationship via text message.

While the government may celebrate finishing the parliamentary year by getting its price cap legislation approved, the reality is there are torrid months ahead to sort out the detail.

Laura Tingle is 7.30's chief political correspondent.

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Germany has nationalized key energy suppliers like Uniper and allocated billions of euros to replenish gas storage facilities, while energy-saving measures and increased renewable energy production have helped stabilize the energy market amidst reduced Russian gas imports.

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Warm winter saved Europe, and weaponized energy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s plan to use energy as a weapon to coerce Europe appears to have failed, at least for now.
Mild winters, a wider supply of natural gas, and the effectiveness of demand-reduction measures have kept Europe ’ s gas stocks close to full and prices have fallen sharply to pre-war levels.
As the situation has changed dramatically over the past month, Europe may have settled for the worst of the crisis.
While a cold snap or transport disruption could still lead to chaos in energy markets, optimism about Europe ’ s ability to weather this and next winter is growing.
“The danger of a full-blown economic collapse and the collapse of the European industrial core has been averted, ” said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck during a trip to Norway. Norway has overtaken Russia as Germany ’ s largest gas supplier.
The crisis, triggered by Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine in February last year, has already cost Europe nearly $1 trillion from soaring energy prices.
With more than $700 billion in funding, governments are helping businesses and consumers mitigate the impact while reducing their reliance on Russian energy, especially natural gas.
The European Union no longer imports coal and crude oil from Russia, and natural gas deliveries have been drastically reduced.
The EU is bridging the gap by increasing Norway ’ s natural gas supply while expanding LNG imports from Qatar, the United States and other natural gas producers.
In Germany, the stock of gas storage facilities reached about 91%, up from 54% a year ago, when Russia emptied the stock of gas storage facilities it could control.
Since then, Chancellor Gerhard Schutz ’ s government has nationalized Gazprom ’ s operations in Germany and spent billions of euros to help replenish gas storage facilities.
Energy saving measures by industries and households, combined with the warmest January in decades, also helped preserve energy reserves.
“We are very optimistic … The more gas we have in our gas storage facilities at the beginning of this year, the less pressure and cost we will face to fill it again next winter, ” said Müller, head of the German network regulator.
Benchmark natural gas prices have now fallen back to a fifth of the record high set in August last year, and while cheaper prices may trigger higher demand, usage is still falling, one of the signs of a weak economy.
In addition, increased power generation from renewable sources such as wind and solar also helped.
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The nuclear phase-out has led to increased electricity prices in Germany, with household electricity costs rising to €0.3714 per kWh in 2022, among the highest in Europe, due to taxes and surcharges tied to renewable energy policies and fossil fuel price volatility exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Title:

Content: ● Talk from the beginning
In October 1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Saudi Arabia, imposed a embargo on countries supporting Israel with oil as a weapon. The embargo lasted until March 1974, when the global price of oil rose by nearly 300%, from $3 per barrel to nearly $12.
Recognizing the importance of stable energy supply and price, many countries have begun to develop nuclear power.
In that era, the development of nuclear energy in Germany and France went hand in hand. Both countries imported nuclear power technology from the United States, and both established independent nuclear power industries.
In 1979, the Three Mile Island accident in the United States did not change the Social Democratic Party's support for nuclear energy in Germany at the time, and then the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Russia caused a major impact on Germany's nuclear energy policy. In August 1986, the Social Democratic Party passed a bill to abandon nuclear power within 10 years, Germany terminated the development plan for new reactors, and power companies dared not plan to build a nuclear power plant. Merchants.
Overall, the passage of the Act did not affect the operation of the nuclear power plants in transit in Germany, with a capacity of 20,339 and 20,583,000 megawatts in 23 years from 1986 to 2009, and a further 22.9 million megawatts in 1989.
In other words, the ruling party in Germany recognized the importance of nuclear power to the country ’ s economic development and did not implement the nuclear abolition bill hastily passed in August 1986 under the anti-nuclear passion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in Russia.
Obviously, the non-nuclear file, can only say, can not be done.
Non-nuclear weapons are a bargaining chip for political power
In October 1998, the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party organized a joint government and began to discuss a non-nuclear timetable with power companies. The Green Party, a small party with ideological leadership and national recognition of only 6.7%, changed the national energy policy through the power to gain the leadership of energy policies that are closely related to national security.
The assumption of power by political parties recognized by more people is the basic tenet of the operation of democratic politics.
When, in order to gain political power, different political parties used coalitions to lead to the opinions of the minority and hostage the understanding of the majority, is this the normal state of democratic politics?
Ridiculous, even more pathetic!
After numerous and varied threats, the coalition government and the power companies reached an agreement in late 2000.
The key point of the agreement is that the government will allow the units in operation at the time to continue operating until the cumulative generation of 2,623 billion kWh, equivalent to an average useful life of the units of 32 years (the power company originally expected 36 years), and that Germany will be non-nuclear by 2022.
The government is committed to ensuring the smooth operation of the nuclear power plant and the disposal of nuclear waste without political interference. In June 2001, the “Red Green ” coalition government signed an agreement with four power companies.
The agreement clearly stipulates that Germany will no longer build nuclear power plants and allow the temporary storage of used nuclear fuel at the site.
Based on the cap on nuclear power generation, a less cost-effective unit was stopped in 2003 and 2005, with a installed capacity of 640,000 MW and 340,000 MW, respectively, and it operated for 31 and 36 years.
In addition, a unit with a capacity of 1.22 million megawatts was built in 1986 on the banks of the Rhine. The unit was discontinued in 1988 due to anti-nuclear protests, and its power company abandoned the unit in 2003 to begin decommissioning work. Two units with a capacity of 771,000 megawatts and 1.26 million megawatts were suspended in 2007 and 2009, respectively, for 30 years and 25 years.
These two units are boiling water reactors, which are different from the mainstream pressurized water reactors in Germany.
Germany ’ s non-nuclear decision in 2000 was a pragmatic compromise that quelled the protests of anti-nuclear groups, kept the plant running smoothly, and provided the government with enough time to think about national energy policy.
An industrial leader reminded the government that reliable and affordable energy is an important part of Germany ’ s economic policy.
Opposition leaders in Congress said there was a chance they would change the decision.
The expectation of power companies is to increase the average operating year of all nuclear power units from 32 to 40 years, and then to 60 years depending on the situation of individual units.
● New opportunities brought about by the change
In September 2009, the new coalition government of the Christian Democrats and the Liberal Party announced plans to withdraw the "non-nuclear policy".
At this time, Germany still has 17 operational nuclear power units, but one is in a long-term state of decommissioning.
If all the units can be extended from the original agreed 32 years of operation to 60 years, it is estimated that the additional profit of the power company will be 100 billion euros, and the government must take a share, let alone 50 billion euros.
Financial negotiations took a year to complete.
The new nuclear policy allows for 40 years of operation (an additional 8 years) for units that were negotiated before 1980, and 14 years for units that were negotiated after 1980.
The government pays dividends on the extension of nuclear power plants to the national treasury under various taxes, donations and surcharges.
For example, the tax on nuclear fuel based on the weight of nuclear fuel used is increased to 2.3 billion euros per year, equivalent to 0.016 euros per kilowatt-hour.
In order to supplement the development of renewable energy, we will provide 300 million euros each in 2011 and 2012, 200 million euros each from 2013 to 2016, and 0.009 euros per nuclear power generation after 2016. The funds will also fund a recovery plan for a waste salt mine that is disposed of from nuclear waste.
Germany ’ s policy of abandoning nuclear energy has officially turned a corner.
• Planning does not change
On March 15, 2011, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the new nuclear energy policy adopted only four months ago was suspended for three months. At the same time, seven units that had been negotiated before 1980 were immediately shut down. This represents a decrease of 8,336 MW, or 6.4% of the total installed capacity.
In May 2011, the German regulatory authority issued a statement saying that after various assessments, all German nuclear power units are in good condition and there are no concerns about their safety.
Despite this, the German government announced on May 30 that under pressure from anti-nuclear local governments, it will return to its original non-nuclear policy and close all nuclear power plants by 2022. At the end of June and July 8, the German House of Representatives and the Senate respectively passed decrees to expand wind power generation in response to the shutdown of nuclear power plants, while agreeing to build coal-fired power plants and gas plants without changing carbon reduction targets.
In order to solve the problem of insufficient baseload power after the nuclear power plant is stopped, electricity will be imported from France, Russia and Poland.
It ’ s all about non-nuclear policy.
Some nuclear power plants have been forced to shut down, but the nuclear power plants that continue to operate still have to pay various heavy taxes according to the 2011 revision of the Atomic Energy Law. Tax rebates of €6.3 billion between 2011 and 2016 and the suspension of tax on nuclear fuel.
The nuclear fuel tax was abolished at the end of 2016. In order to avoid the nuclear fuel tax, the fuel exchange time of five German units was postponed to January 2017, and a total of 8 billion kWh of power generation was lost from mid-December to the end of February 2016.
After 10 years of litigation, the government reached a settlement with four power companies for a total amount of 4.8 billion euros.
This amount of money is the most direct price of policy repetition.
In response to nuclear waste, in order to maintain a stable power supply, the huge investment in power generation and transmission systems is a heavier burden on society.
In May 2011, the German power grid department warned that the closure of nuclear power plants will lead to insufficient baseload power generation capacity, and renewable energy generation facilities are scattered, and renewable energy rich areas and power consumption areas are at a distance, requiring transmission networks.
The lack of power transmission capacity will make the grid fragile and unreliable, and the stability of the grid is facing great challenges. In May 2012, Germany announced a 10-year plan to expand and strengthen the grid, with a total of 26 transmission projects, with a total investment of 10 billion euros.
Germany calls the policy of increasing the proportion of renewable energy generation and phasing out nuclear energy as Energiewende (energytransition), an appropriate translation is also our slogan, "energy transition"!
For the public, the direct cost of the energy transition is that household electricity prices are the second highest in Europe and the highest in Denmark.
According to statistics, in December 2021, the price of domestic electricity in Germany was 80% higher than that of France.
Electricity prices in Germany
The electricity market in Germany is completely liberalized, and power companies sell electricity generated by various forms of electricity generation in the wholesale market. The price of electricity in the wholesale market is open information, which allows power companies to obtain electricity from the wholesale market and transmit it to consumers through the electricity network.
Taxes paid by different types of consumers are also different.
Due to various measures to reward renewable energy, distorting the market mechanism, the German wholesale electricity price is lower than other countries, and sometimes even negative, 298 hours of wholesale electricity price is negative in 2019 and 139 hours in 2021.
The average wholesale price of electricity in the German electricity market is 0.03767 euros / kWh in 2019, 0.03047 euros / kWh in 2020, and 0.09685 euros / kWh in 2021. The average price in the first half of the year is 0.054 euros / kWh, rising to 0.1380 euros / kWh in the second half of the year.
As shown in the attached figure, the Russian-Ukrainian war caused a surge in gas prices, which had a huge impact on electricity prices in Germany; in July 2022, the high price of 0.3153 euros per degree was 6.4 times that of January 2019!
The price of electricity for domestic or small commercial use in Germany is very high.
Look at the price structure of electricity for German households.
Germany ’ s household electricity price in 2006 was 0.1946 euros per kWh. It rose to 0.3216 euros per kWh in 2021, and has reached 0.3714 euros in 2022. In 2021, more than half of Germany ’ s household and small business electricity price burden came from additional taxes or fees due to energy policies. 16% is a sales tax, 20% of the renewable energy surcharge is paid to the renewable energy industry, 6% of the electricity tax (also known as the ecological tax), and there are three smaller surcharges.
If so, why not in the first place?
In 2010, Germany had 17 nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of more than 20 million megawatts, accounting for about 15% of the total installed capacity. In 2010, the total generation capacity was 133 billion kWh, accounting for about 25% of the total generation capacity. At the end of 2011, there were 9 nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of 12 million megawatts.
Compared to 1990, the total installed capacity was 1.3 times, but the power generation increased by only 11%.
Wind and photovoltaics account for nearly half of the installed capacity, but only 28% of the generation.
Nuclear power plant capacity accounted for only 4.1%, but power generation accounted for 12.4%. In 2021, three nuclear power units were shut down, and there are only three units in operation, with a total installed capacity of 4.055 million megawatts, accounting for less than 2%, and the total power generation may be about 6%. Can the economy afford to shut down the remaining three nuclear plants in 2022?
According to a news report on August 18, "Germany is facing an energy shortage crisis this winter and has planned to delay the closure of the country's last three nuclear power plants."
The decision has not yet been formally adopted by Prime Minister Bernard Shaw and may need to be passed by parliament. Details are still being discussed and a cabinet resolution will have to wait weeks for an energy demand assessment to come out, but officials believe the results are already known, according to three officials.
According to online data, Germany has eight decommissioned units that have not been in service for 40 years, and if the international consensus is that nuclear power units can be used for at least 60 years, the extension of these units can significantly reduce the dependence on imported natural gas.
It remains to be seen whether the shift in German nuclear policy will extend to these eight units.
● Other Mountain Stone
Looking at Taiwan ’ s electricity situation, the schedule summarizes Taiwan ’ s electricity data for 2019 and 2021, which can be compared with Germany ’ s data for 2019. Germany ’ s total installed capacity and total power generation in 2019 are 4.1 times and 2.2 times that of Taiwan, respectively.
The average capacity factor for electrical equipment in Germany is 30% and in Taiwan it is 56%.
Renewable energy cannot generate electricity all the time, and when the installed capacity is large, the average capacity factor will be low.
But there are other factors, in 2019, Germany ’ s natural gas installation capacity of 46 million megawatts, generating 90.8 billion kWh; Taiwan is 17.57 million megawatts and 91.2 billion kWh; the installed capacity is only 38% of Germany ’ s, but the power generation is equivalent.
Germany ’ s electricity grid is part of the European continent ’ s electricity grid, and data can be found on the network. In 2020, Germany exported 66.39 billion kWh of electricity and imported 48.05 billion kWh. About 20% of Germany ’ s domestic electricity production is exchanged with other countries.
If the exchange is not possible, it is necessary to abandon electricity when the amount of renewable energy generation exceeds the amount of electricity used or the capacity of the grid; when the renewable energy generation is insufficient, more dispatchable units are needed.
Renewable energy generation must be coupled with a power generation facility that can be scheduled, so that the power grid can be stable.
When the capacity of renewable energy installations is large, the capacity of the installations with the power generation facilities that can be adjusted will also increase.
The average capacity factor of German natural gas units is only 15%.
In other words, Germany ’ s natural gas unit is idle 85% of the time, isn ’ t that the cost of renewable energy?
When renewable energy must have a total installed capacity of 12.7 million megawatts (54.8%) of renewable energy (wind, light, water, and waste) with a capacity of 255.1 billion kWh (41.9%); the installed capacity is 16.3 times that of Taiwan ’ s 7.8 million megawatts in 2019, and the power generation capacity is 16.8 times that of Taiwan ’ s share is only 5.6%. Degrees.
From the number of renewable energy generation, Taiwan really can not be compared with Germany, but can we really develop to the realm of Germany?
Germany ’ s territory covers an area of 357,622 square kilometers, 9.9 times Taiwan ’ s 35,980 square kilometers.
Simply estimate the amount of renewable energy generated per square kilometer of land in Germany is only 1.7 times that of Taiwan.
In other words, if Taiwan ’ s renewable energy development can be as good as Germany ’ s, our renewable energy generation capacity can be doubled again! Is that enough? What does the rest rely on? Petrified fuels? Taiwan ’ s use of fossil fuels for power generation is 82.0% in 2019 and 83.3% in 2021. What should we do about the reduction of greenhouse gases? Energy can be developed, hydrogen is an energy carrier, not energy, that is, hydrogen production still depends on other sources of energy.
The Germans can ’ t take the risk, we don ’ t see it.
Germany's nuclear energy policy is all caused by natural gas, on the one hand, the source is cut off, on the other hand, the natural gas shortage caused by the soaring price of fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels account for 46.3% of Germany ’ s electricity generation, and the rise in wholesale electricity prices has been alarming. The German government has revised its nuclear energy policy once again in order to spread the risk of excessive reliance on natural gas.
In Taiwan, fossil fuel power generation accounted for 83.3% in 2021, can the impact on electricity prices be lighter than in Germany?
You can't see that Taiwan Power Company is expected to have a loss of 200 billion yuan this year, and CNOOC is also in the tens of billions!
The government is afraid to adjust the price of electricity and natural gas for fear of affecting the election.
A few days ago, the media reported that the government has compiled a budget to directly eliminate the deficit.
Do they still have the law in their eyes?
If the government respects the results of the 2018 referendum on nuclear and green energy, and four years ago it began to promote the renewal of the licenses of the four nuclear companies to transfer and operate China's power plants, Taiwan will pay a lot less in this wave of soaring fossil fuel prices.
A while ago, the military exercise across the strait, it can be seen that it is rehearsing to block Taiwan, if it is really blocked in the future, our natural gas stocks can stand for a few days! Our government seems to be old in the ground is not proper, still clinging to the god of the non-nuclear homeland, refusing to open their eyes to see the latest international energy trends.
After Germany abandoned its non-nuclear policy, the only countries in the world that have used nuclear energy, only Taiwan has a non-nuclear timetable, China, the United States, France, Japan, South Korea and India, etc., are building or planning new nuclear power plants.
The Taiwanese government should wake up.
Those who pretend to sleep cannot wake up, so let us spit on those who stand in line with those who pretend to sleep!
With the election looming, let ’ s ask the candidates whether they support nuclear power?
If not, ask him to tell you where Taiwan's energy policy should go, how Taiwan meets the requirements of international carbon reduction, what to do when Taiwan is short of power, and who pays when electricity prices surge? (The author is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Systems Science, National Tsing Hua University)
※ The above statements do not represent the position of Wangzhong Media Group ※
# Germany # Unit # Electricity # Euro # Nuclear

The phase-out has also impacted Germany's industrial competitiveness, as high energy prices have driven some companies to relocate production abroad, while others face operational challenges due to insufficient baseload power and grid infrastructure issues, such as the inability to efficiently transmit renewable energy from northern to southern Germany.

Despite the phase-out, public opinion has shifted amid the energy crisis, with 64% of Germans supporting the restart of nuclear power plants to stabilize supply and reduce costs, highlighting growing dissatisfaction with the government's handling of energy policy and the potential reconsideration of nuclear energy as part of the energy mix.

Title:

Content: World Vision: Restarting nuclear power, dragging the German government into crisis
November 06, 2022 00: 03
Eastern Network Television
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With Germany following the NATO sanctions against Russia, the German energy crisis is deepening and leading to serious political instability.
The gold-painted sign “Made in Germany ” has been peeled off. First, the business community complained about the high price of electricity in Germany, averaging 0.37 euros per kilowatt-hour (kWh), compared with 0.18 euros in France, 0.24 euros in the United Kingdom and 0.10 euros in Hungary.
Even if the German government proposed energy subsidies, but other European governments such as Britain and France will do so, German companies still can not compete. The result is that more and more industrial products that Germany was proud of in the past, either set up factories in foreign countries or import some foreign parts to complete in Germany.
In addition, some townships began to have problems with the opening up and strengthening of thermal power generation and transmission, and now there are rare power outages, which have caused great dissatisfaction among the public.
The Minister of Economy and Deputy Prime Minister Hajbek have become the target of attacks by the industrial sector, the German opposition, and the Liberal and Social Democrats in the government, focusing on Habek, who has no economic expertise but is responsible for the environmental ideology, and the government ’ s lack of understanding and compassion for industry, and has been deceiving the three nuclear power plants.
Halbek has always stressed that the German people have long been the majority of anti-nuclear power, but the latest poll shows that 64% of the people support restarting nuclear power to increase supply and reduce electricity prices due to the energy crisis, with 40% of the Green Party voters.
In addition, the Green Party has spoken out in favor of improving climate change, but has been hiding experts ’ suggestions that turning on nuclear power could cut Germany ’ s carbon emissions by 25 million to 30 million tons a year.
In addition, Halbek stressed that the nuclear fuel rods needed for the nuclear power plant may not be available by early next year, but the expert opinion is that the old nuclear fuel rods can also be used and the nuclear power plant can be gradually opened.
Halbek stressed that it would take a long time to open the safety inspection of nuclear power, but the world-famous German Technical Supervision Association immediately hit the face, claiming that they did a comprehensive inspection in March, all three nuclear power plants are normal, as long as limited further testing and monitoring, restart is not a problem at all.
The opposition party also criticized the three-party coalition government for delaying the setting of a gas price cap until March next year. At that time, the weather in Germany has begun to warm up. As a result, the opposition party and the public demand that Habaker resign, which can be regarded as the ruling coalition's biggest crisis to date.
Ph.D., Freie Universität Berlin

A 2022 poll revealed that 67% of Germans supported extending the operation of nuclear plants for five years, and 41% even favored constructing new reactors, marking a stark contrast to the minimal support for nuclear energy decades ago.

Despite this shift in public opinion, the Green Party, a key member of the ruling coalition, has maintained strong opposition to nuclear energy, reflecting its foundational anti-nuclear stance, which has limited the possibility of reversing the phase-out policy even amidst energy crises.

Movements advocating for the return of nuclear energy have gained traction, with political figures like Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder calling for the reactivation of nuclear plants to address energy security concerns, though federal authorities have dismissed these proposals as political populism.

Recommissioning Germany's deactivated nuclear reactors faces significant technical challenges, including the need for specialized personnel and the procurement of suitable fuel rods, which could take up to 18 months before reactors are operational again after maintenance and refueling processes are completed.

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
Europe ’ s largest economy: What has Germany done to cope with the energy crisis?
Germany ’ s gas storage facilities are filling faster than planned, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said, giving hope that Europe ’ s largest economy will be able to avoid a severe gas shortage this winter.
“Reservoirs are filling faster than set, ” Habeck was quoted by Der Spiegel as saying, adding that the government ’ s goal of achieving 85% of storage capacity by October could be reached at the beginning of September.
Germany is in the second phase of a three-phase contingency plan drafted after cutting gas flows from its main supplier, Russia.
Quoting data from the energy industry association BDEW, Spiegel reported that only 9.5% of Germany ’ s gas consumption in August came from Russia.
Last year, Russian gas accounted for about 55% of the country ’ s total consumption.
Industry data from European operators group GIE on Sunday showed that the government had targeted gas storage levels by 75% by September 1, but storage levels had already reached 82.2%.
“Companies will then be able to draw gas from storage facilities as planned during the winter to supply industry and homes as well, ” Habik said.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is also expected to flow to Germany via France after the two countries resolved regulatory and technical issues to facilitate supplies, Spiegel said, citing a document from the Ministry of Economy.
Largest gas storage facility in Western Europe
The largest gas storage facility in Western Europe is located 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) underground in the city of Reiden, in the northern state of Lower Saxony, the size of 910 football fields.
The facility plays a key role in securing supplies for Germany and Europe.
Astora is a subsidiary of Russian energy giant Gazprom, and owns more than a third of all German gas storage facilities.
Economic Affairs and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck, of Germany ’ s Green Party, assumes that storage facilities were “systematically emptied ” on purpose in order to raise gas prices, but also to generate political pressure.
New law to guarantee gas reserves
About 55% of Germany ’ s gas imports come from Russia, plus about 50% from solid coal and 30% from oil.
Although the strategic oil reserve must last for 90 days in Germany, there is no such requirement for gas and coal.
It is now clear that this was a mistake, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action intends to move forward with the legal changes as soon as possible.
The German parliament is preparing to introduce a law in time for it to come into force before crises.
At the same time, a decision has been made to phase out coal-fired power in Europe by 2038 at the latest.
But concerns about German energy security now call everything into question.
Economy ministers in 16 German states have already called for longer operating periods for both coal-fired and nuclear power plants to be examined.
Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Andreas Pinkwart of Germany ’ s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) said: “All options should be on the table. ”
Pinkwart is a member of the Liberal Democrats (FDP).
The phasing out of nuclear weapons has long been a thorn on the side of the FDP.
Happik said, “Everything is on the table. ”
As the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, he is in a very difficult position, his job as a government minister is to make securing energy supplies his top priority.
On the other hand, phasing out coal in the face of climate change is a core issue for his Green Ecological Party, and phasing out nuclear power has been part of the political identity of the party since its founding.
Habik said he would not resist any extension of nuclear power "for ideological reasons".
However, he said, preparations for the shutdown of nuclear power plants have already progressed so far, and continued operation is not possible for safety reasons.
According to the operators Eon, RWE and EnBW, it will be technically difficult to quickly buy suitable fuel rods, and there is a shortage of specialized personnel.
Even if nuclear power plants were to continue operating, it would take a year and a half before the reactors could generate electricity again, Pinkwart said.
For technical reasons, it still has to be closed at the end of the year and then restarted to operate again in the winter of 2023 / 2024 at the earliest.
Purchase of liquefied natural gas
To replace Russia ’ s energy supply in the short term, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action is considering buying more gas from other countries, including the Middle East.
In addition, liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be imported from the United States.
This is to be delivered by sea.
Germany wants to build two terminals on the North Sea coast, in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven, as soon as possible.
Habeck is in talks about buying liquefied natural gas in the United States, as well as about energy, security policy and the consequences of sanctions, but the current crisis is also an opportunity for environmentalists to push the expansion of green electricity dramatically.
"The most important key to our energy sovereignty is the global shift towards more renewable energies and greater energy efficiency," Habik said before leaving for the United States, adding, "Of course, we are discussing the issue of energy security in the transatlantic alliance."
But in Germany ’ s coalition government, even Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP changed his tune, now calling renewable energies “freedom energies, ” and Chancellor Olaf Schulz called them“ crucial to the country ’ s security. ”
“The faster we push for the expansion of renewable energies, the better. ”

Additionally, the infrastructure for nuclear energy in Germany has been partially dismantled, with some reactors already undergoing complex and lengthy decommissioning processes, making their recommissioning both costly and time-intensive.

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Content: This content is not available in your region
Germany closes three nuclear power plants
Comments
Lev Udolsky
Copyright AP Photo / Heribert Proepper
With the end of the year, the phase-out of nuclear energy in Germany is entering a new phase.
On December 31, three nuclear power plants will be disconnected from the grid, including the Brockdorf nuclear power plant, located in the north of the country.
Its construction, begun in the 1980s, already caused a lot of protests.
The management of the company regrets its closure.
“In recent days, the mood has been very sad, ” says Guido Nott, chairman of PreussenElektra.
We have been running this station for 35 years.
We monitored her condition, maintained at the highest technical level and always ensured the safety of her work.
Meanwhile, among opponents of the use of nuclear energy, the closure of the nuclear power plant does not cause any sadness:
“I feel a calm but constant joy that this facility is now closed, ” says Karsten Hinrichsen, an activist.
Some have asked if victory has been won.
I say no, because it took too much time.
The ban on the operation of nuclear power plants in Germany was adopted after the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima in 2011.
During the vote in the Bundestag, this initiative was supported by 513 out of 600 deputies.
The oldest reactors were shut down immediately, and the shutdown of the remaining nine was decided to proceed in stages.
Following three nuclear power plants located in Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, which will stop generating electricity this year, the remaining three will be shut down by the end of next year.
At the same time, the work related to the NPP shutdown will continue for several more years, since the dismantling of the stations is a very complex and lengthy procedure.
Meanwhile, the country plans to increasingly switch to renewable energy sources.
It is estimated that by 2030, 80% of electricity will be generated by wind turbines, solar panels or biogas plants.

Germany's nuclear phase-out contrasts sharply with France's energy policy, as France relies on nuclear power for approximately 70% of its electricity and plans to modernize existing reactors and construct new ones to meet energy needs, while Germany has committed to shutting down its last nuclear plants by 2022 and transitioning to renewables and natural gas as bridge technologies.

Title:

Content: The EU ’ s dilemma: is nuclear power a green energy?
| Deutsche Welle from Germany Introducing Germany | DW | 07.11.2021
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The political climate of the times
The EU ’ s dilemma: is nuclear power a green energy?
At the same time as the Glasgow Climate Summit, several European countries urged the European Commission to recognize nuclear power as a “sustainable ” energy source.
The issue has divided the EU.
10 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, will the European Union consider nuclear power a "green" energy source? As global representatives gather in Glasgow for a climate summit, the question leaves Europe in a dilemma.
Eight countries, including France and Poland, have called on the European Commission to recognize nuclear energy as a source of "sustainable development".
“Nuclear power is a green energy source, ” said Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which produces almost no carbon dioxide.
French President Emmanuel Macron shares this view.
Macron appears to have rediscovered nuclear power ahead of next April ’ s presidential election, when he recently announced that he would invest 1 billion euros in nuclear expansion.
At present, 70 percent of France's electricity consumption comes from nuclear power, the highest proportion in the world.
Carbon Reduction vs. Denuclearization
The French government said that without nuclear power, the EU would not be able to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 as planned.
According to EU diplomats, through intensive behind-the-scenes negotiations, France has persuaded most EU countries to accept nuclear energy as part of the EU ’ s “Sustainable Energy Classification Standard ”.
The standard, which will be published by the EU authorities in a few weeks, has attracted the attention of investors around the world.
If nuclear energy is indeed classified as “sustainable ”, it would be tantamount to recommending financial markets to invest in nuclear power projects.
Microsoft founder and investor Bill Gates also supports the development of nuclear energy.
Gates owns an investment firm called Breakthrough Energy, which funds so-called green technology ventures, including nuclear power.
EU renewable energy and fossil energy share the same
Eight countries, including France, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, have called on the European Commission to include not only nuclear power plants and nuclear waste storage facilities, but also natural gas power plants.
However, the French environment ministry stressed that the latter should only be limited to the “transitional phase ” until 2030, and that only the“ most efficient ” gas-fired power plants would be entitled to this treatment.
In order to reduce dependence on coal as soon as possible, Eastern European countries need natural gas as a transitional technology.
The situation is similar for Germany, which still imports natural gas from Russia.
There are already signs that Brussels may concede.
European Commission President von der Leyen recently said that until Europe relies on solar, wind and hydropower to meet all its energy needs, nuclear energy and natural gas will remain "stable", that is, reliable sources of energy.
In fact, the EU is far from completely replacing fossil energy with renewable energy.
According to the European Commission, although renewable energy in the EU will be the largest energy category for the first time in 2020, it will still account for only 38%, while fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas will still account for 37% and nuclear energy for 25%.
Merkel accused of 'greenwashing'
For Germany's "traffic light" coalition government in the formation of the government negotiations, the practice of nuclear energy into green energy is undoubtedly of great destructive power.
So the EU ’ s decision to launch the document in November – after the UN climate summit, but before the German government formally forms a government – should not be a coincidence.
The outgoing Merkel has also been criticized.
Sources, including Luxembourg ’ s Energy Minister Claude Turmes and German Green Party member Sven Giegold, believe that Merkel agreed to “green ” nuclear power and gas at her last EU summit in October.
After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the German government decided to completely withdraw from nuclear power by 2022.
Merkel said after the EU summit that at least 20 member states would be required to vote against the European Commission ’ s proposed energy component standards.
Germany, along with Austria and Luxembourg, which are critical of nuclear power, seems unable to mobilize so many EU countries to block nuclear power from being classified as “green energy ”.
Watch the video 01: 33
Has China just ushered in a new nuclear energy future?
(AFP)
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While Germany has pursued a complete nuclear phase-out citing safety and sustainability concerns, other EU countries like Belgium and Switzerland have opted to extend the operational lifespan of their reactors, and Eastern European nations such as Poland and Hungary are advancing plans for new nuclear facilities to address energy security and decarbonization goals.

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Trump Or Biden, Nuclear Power Is Crucial For The Energy Transition

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As the world grapples with the existential threat of climate change, one energy solution transcends partisan politics: a bold reinvestment in nuclear power. Despite historically high spending on climate efforts by the US and EU, it's becoming clear their policies are "insufficient" to meet 2050 net-zero emissions targets.

The problem isn't a lack of funding. The US has earmarked over $145 billion since 2020 through acts like the CHIPS GraniteShares HIPS US High Income ETF Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Inflation Reduction Act could funnel between $369 billion to $3 trillion into clean energy deployment by 2032. Similarly, the EU aims to mobilize €1 trillion in sustainable investment this decade via initiatives like the Green Deal.

But smart implementation trumps dollar amounts. As the latest IPCC report underscores, current wind, solar, and hydro projections - even paired with storage - cannot facilitate deep decarbonization fast enough to hit 2050 goals. Without nuclear's proven, zero-carbon baseload power, we may face emissions overshoots delaying net-zero until the 2070s or beyond.

Nuclear isn't just a climate solution - it enhances energy security, creates stable jobs, and via clean hydrogen production, supplies a valuable energy transition feedstock. That's why policymakers must get pragmatic by expanding this vital technology.

The U.S., Canada, Japan, as well as many European countries are currently seeking to expand their nuclear capacity by up to three times by 2050, as outlined in the 2023 Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy. Prior to that, nuclear progress in the U.S. has been very slow - since 1996, the only new nuclear plants built have been Watts Bar Unit 2 in Tennessee, as well as the recently operational Units 3 and 4 at Plant Vogtle in Georgia. Still, the U.S. has the largest nuclear fleet in the world that is characterized by a high capacity factor of 92.7% (signaling minimal reactor downtime).

In contrast, some Western European countries, like Germany and Italy have pursued a nuclear phase-out, based on a public referendum. Other countries, which were on the way to a nuclear phaseout, have changed course in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead of a phase-out, Switzerland and Belgium are extending their reactor lifespans rather than shutting them down. Moreover, economically developing and energy-insecure Eastern European nations like Hungary, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia and Romania have advanced plans for new nuclear reactors.

To rapidly decarbonize, both the U.S. and the E.U. should adopt a nuclear advancement strategy with six key elements:

1. Reactor Life Extensions - Properly maintained, existing Gen II reactors like Switzerland's 53-year-old Beznau plant can safely operate well past original license terms. Life extensions avoid premature closures wasting reliable, zero-carbon assets. Lifetime extensions to 60-80 years should be considered.

2. Reactor Restarts - Where feasible, recommissioning previously shut plants, following the DOE-backed model of restarting Michigan's Palisades facility. This quickly brings paid-for capacity back online.

3. New Reactor Construction - Both large-scale gigawatt plants and flexible small modular designs must enter the mix, particularly in regions like Eastern Europe with soaring energy demand and security concerns.

4. Next-Gen Deployment - Creating a Transatlantic "orderbook" for at least 10 advanced nuclear plants would commercialize the design and let the learning by doing and the economies of scale kick in.

5. Waste Storage Solutions - Permanent geologic repositories need to be found, based on successful examples like Finland's Onkalo facility, the world’s first deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel.

6. Nuclear Reprocessing - Successfully employed in France, reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel should be legalized in the U.S. to boost waste recycling, which greatly reduces the volume of spent fuel.

Nuclear energy is indispensable to address the current climate crisis and should be embraced by environmentalists and energy security hawks alike. With pragmatic policies like reactor life extensions, restarts, new construction, and responsible waste storage, nuclear can drive the urgent decarbonization the entire world requires. This transcends partisan politics - it's simply rational investment.

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Germany's decision to phase out nuclear energy has been criticized by climate activists and experts who argue that nuclear power is essential for achieving net-zero carbon emissions, as evidenced by international initiatives advocating for the expansion of nuclear energy to meet global climate targets.

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The path to a low-carbon energy transition has been the focus of discussions among world leaders at the 28th United Nations Climate Summit (COP28).
More than 20 countries, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Canada, have signed the Nuclear Energy Initiative, which supports the tripling of nuclear power generation by 2050 as an important tool to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
On the other hand, Germany, the only G7 country to abolish nuclear power, did not join the initiative, and Chancellor Gerhard Schloss chose to invite 36 countries to form a "Climate Club" at the other end of the meeting, stressing that Germany is helping developing countries to promote renewable energy, hydrogen and industrial decarbonization, avoiding the role of nuclear power in net zero emissions.
At this year ’ s climate summit, “phasing out or cutting fossil fuels ” has become the consensus of most countries, but how to fill the energy gap after reducing fossil fuels, countries have different paths; at present, there are three main ways to save energy, improve energy efficiency, develop nuclear energy, renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The nuclear energy initiative at the climate summit was spearheaded by the United States and France.
According to the New York Times, John Kerry, the US climate envoy, said that nuclear energy cannot replace all energy sources, but scientific evidence shows that without nuclear energy, net zero carbon emissions cannot be achieved by 2050.
French President Emmanuel Macron also said nuclear power is an indispensable solution to stop climate change.
The United Arab Emirates is also one of the signatories of the agreement.
As an oil-producing country, the United Arab Emirates has no worries about the availability of fossil fuels. In the past, more than 95% of the power generation structure has come from oil and natural gas. However, the country has actively promoted the development of low-carbon energy in recent years.
Germany is one of the few industrialized countries to scrap nuclear power, from 2011 proposed nuclear power to zero in April this year after Germany ’ s last nuclear power plant decommissioned officially declared nuclear power, a move supported by anti-nuclear activists, but also criticized by climate activists for not helping Germany achieve net zero carbon emissions.
As Taiwan is currently the only country in Asia to target a "non-nuclear homeland", German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not respond positively when asked by a Vision Project reporter whether the policy of abolishing nuclear power will affect net zero carbon emissions. Electrification and green hydrogen can be achieved with determination. Schutz also reiterated Germany ’ s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2045 and stressed the importance of renewable energy.
At the Climate Summit, he announced the formation of a Climate Club with 36 countries, including many developing countries, with the goal of using innovative technologies to drive a low-carbon transformation of the industry and decouple economic growth from carbon emissions.
Nuclear energy is not a climate club issue, but countries must replace confrontation with cooperation to have a chance to achieve the goal of net zero carbon emissions.
In fact, the idea of a climate club put forward by Shauz in 2021, focusing only on research and development of low-carbon steel, industrial decarbonization and international partnerships, has been criticized by experts and scholars as too vague, and how effective the actual reduction of carbon remains to be seen.
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Despite Germany's commitment to renewable energy and industrial decarbonization, its rejection of nuclear energy has created divisions within the EU, with countries like France emphasizing nuclear power's role in decarbonization and Germany facing challenges in replacing nuclear energy with sustainable alternatives while maintaining energy security.

Germany's political parties are deeply divided on the issue of nuclear energy, with the Green Party strongly opposing any reversal of the phase-out, citing safety concerns and the high costs associated with nuclear power, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) advocates for extending the life of nuclear plants to ensure energy stability and reduce reliance on coal during the transition to renewables.

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Content: Germany ’ s transport minister has called for the creation of an expert committee to examine whether the country ’ s nuclear power plants should be extended.
The move also sparked disagreements within the ruling coalition over nuclear power.
Since Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has tried to break away from its energy dependence and sparked discussions about the use of the country ’ s only three remaining nuclear power plants.
After the 311 earthquake in Japan, the Merkel government appealed for non-nuclear homes, which were scheduled to be completely decommissioned by the end of 2022.
Prime Minister Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has tried to pressure the dispute between the ruling Green Party and the Liberal Democratic Party (FDP).
The Greens have been pressing for a withdrawal from nuclear power, but the transport minister of the Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) has called for an extension of the plant ’ s life until at least April.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing said electric vehicles are not environmentally friendly unless they use zero-carbon nuclear power.
“We need an expert answer on how to ensure that we achieve our climate protection goals while having a stable and affordable energy supply, ” the minister said.
Critics of Germany ’ s withdrawal from nuclear power say it could force Germany to rely more on coal than expected during its transition to renewable energy.
Coal is more carbon polluting than natural gas.
The Green Party is strongly opposed to the resumption of Germany's nuclear power program, arguing that extending the use of nuclear power would be costly and that more could be achieved by developing renewable energy.
# Nuclear Power # Germany # Minister of Transport # Extension # Nuclear Power Plant

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has maintained a cautious stance, emphasizing that nuclear energy would not provide immediate relief for the current energy crisis, while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and other conservative voices criticize the government for favoring coal over carbon-neutral nuclear power.

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Content: Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing hard with the European Union, cutting off gas supplies to some of his best buyers in a fit of rage over sanctions imposed after the start of the special operation in Ukraine, write Lorenz Gerke, Karl Matisen and Paola Tamma on June 20 in the European version of Politico.
Pierre Edouard Frere.
Furnace Melting (Fragment)
As a result, the authorities of these countries are under enormous political pressure, there is a risk that in the case of a cold winter, the inhabitants of European countries will simply freeze, and there is a danger of disrupting the climate goals of the bloc, whose states have to switch their energy from gas to coal.
Such a development could even lead to a recession on the continent.
Simone Tagliapietra, a specialist at the Bruegel think tank, calls Russia ’ s policy “energy blackmail. ”
Only 40% of the normal volume of gas passes through the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany, which affects supplies to France, Italy and Austria, as well as to Germany.
Russia ’ s gas monopoly, Gazprom, has already cut off all supplies to Poland, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark after energy companies in those countries refused to comply with the Kremlin ’ s demands to pay for supplies in rubles.
In response, some countries are planning to launch coal-fired power plants.
“It is necessary to recognize that Putin is gradually reducing gas supplies to Europe, including to increase gas prices, and we must take retaliatory measures, ” German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said in a television interview on June 19, adding that“ this is a tense, serious situation. ”
Austria plans to restart one of its coal-fired power plants, Poland seeks to subsidize coal mining for heating their homes, and the Netherlands on June 20 decided to abandon previously adopted plans to limit electricity generation at its four coal-fired power plants.
“If it weren ’ t for these special times, we would never have done it, ” Dutch climate and energy minister Rob Jetten said.
Compressor station "Portovaya"
Official website of PJSC Gazprom
Nord Stream gas pipeline
Official website of PJSC Gazprom
The Italian government is scheduled to hold a crisis meeting on June 21, while Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has ordered two LNG regasification plants and is negotiating with countries including Qatar, Angola and Algeria to sign gas supply agreements from them in a desperate attempt to secure supplies in the event of a halt to imports from Russia.
Brussels, for its part, seeks to radiate confidence, but its anxiety is obvious.
“We take the current situation very seriously.
But we are ready, ” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a meeting with journalists on June 20.
Times are not getting easier. ”
Dirty Deals
Such a desire to start using coal again to provide energy is, in symbolic terms, inconvenient for the inhabitants of European countries, which are very concerned about the climate.
However, few believe that the EU or its member states will move far from their previous policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In Germany, officials are adamant that the return of coal will be short-lived and will not jeopardize the country ’ s ambition to phase out its use by 2030.
Coal will act as a reserve for the energy sector, allowing the country to build up gas reserves before winter.
Meanwhile, the government plans to rapidly increase the production of clean energy.
Coal thermal power plant in Förde, Germany
Daniel Ullrich Threedots
According to Simon Muller, director of Agora Energiewende analytical center, political support for renewable energy sources has increased in Germany due to Russia ’ s special operation in Ukraine.
“This additional urgency factor that we now have in the face of this situation helps provide the political momentum that we need for some very important accelerations in the development of renewable energy, ” Mueller said.
The German parliament is considering 10 measures on energy efficiency and renewable energy, and as Müller noted, the three-party coalition as a whole adheres to the importance of removing barriers to green energy.
Green organizations are also optimistic.
“There is currently no plan in Germany that could call into question the timing of a coal phase-out, ” said Christoph Bals, political director of Germanwatch.
But the need to quickly change the approach to coal recycling is exacerbating political tensions.
In Berlin, the conservative opposition criticized Habeck for allowing more coal to be used, while excluding the further operation of Germany ’ s three remaining nuclear power plants after the end of this year.
“I do not understand why the climate minister of the Greens prefers to extend the operation of coal-fired power plants, rather than carbon-neutral nuclear power plants, ” Jens Spahn, deputy head of the Christian Democratic Party in parliament, told German television on June 20.
The policy of abandoning nuclear energy was adopted by the former leader of his party, Angela Merkel.
And this course is a source of tension within the ruling coalition.
“It is necessary that the three remaining nuclear power plants last longer, ” said Bijan Jir-Sarai, secretary general of the Liberal Free Democrats.
While acknowledging that the move was a “violation of the taboo, ” Habek said coal is still better than a revival of nuclear power, arguing that a change in nuclear policy would only have an impact at the end of next year — too late to prepare for this winter.
He was supported by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said in an interview published on June 20 that “nuclear energy will not help us now or in the next two years, and that is the main thing. ”
Political leaders are calling on their people to save energy and cut gas consumption, while governments are working to increase storage capacity to allow the continent to survive the winter shutdown of gas supplies to Russia.
At the very least, they are thinking about rationing the gas.
Cutting off gas supplies will almost certainly lead the bloc into recession.
The European Central Bank has warned that next year the eurozone economy will shrink by 1.7% if Russia completely closes the faucet.
“Power outages and small opportunities for immediate replacement of gas supplies from Russia are likely to require some rationing and redistribution of resources, which will lead to a reduction in production in the eurozone, in particular in energy-intensive sectors, ” the bank said in a statement, according to which, if this happens, the bloc ’ s economy will recover next year.
But the ECB also issued a warning to Russia.
“As for the Russian economy, the scenario assumes a serious recession with a contraction in production similar to the contraction that occurred during the collapse of the Soviet Union, ” the organization said.