Germany has shut down all 17 nuclear power plants by 2022 as part of its energy transition plan.

The country's nuclear phase-out plan started over 20 years ago, with the anti-nuclear movement emerging in Germany in the 1970s.

The German government pledged to phase out nuclear power in the 2000s, and the Fukushima accident in 2011 accelerated this process.

Germany aims to achieve its green goal without nuclear power, with three plants closed: Emsland, Isar 2, and Neckarwestheim.

The country's energy transition has increased its reliance on natural gas, compromising energy security, as Germany relies heavily on Russian energy imports.

The EU aims to end energy dependence on Russia by 2027, and Germany's energy market transition is affected by this goal.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has impacted Germany's energy supply, with the country facing severe energy shortages due to Russian gas supply cutoffs.

Germany may delay decommissioning its last three nuclear plants temporarily to avoid using natural gas or coal-fired power.

The temporary delay requires no safety concerns and is aimed at reducing gas shortages, as Germany needs to reduce natural gas use by 20% to avoid shortages.

The German government has drawn up plans to reduce energy consumption, and the delay aims to assess energy needs before deciding on the delay.

Germany's progress in reducing carbon emissions has been disrupted due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the country is adjusting its energy mix.

The country plans to phase out coal power generation by 2038 and has invested in new economic opportunities during the coal phase-out.

Germany's energy transition has an economic case, and the country is driving down solar panel and wind turbine prices.

Renewables covered 54% of Germany's power consumption in January and February, and the country aims to increase renewable energy to 80% by 2050.

Germany targets 215 GW solar capacity by 2030 and 110 GW onshore wind capacity by 2030, with plans to spend €20 billion on the hydrogen industry by 2027.

The country will subsidize 10 GW of hydrogen-ready turbines, with an estimated cost of €16 billion, and targets 40-75 TWh clean hydrogen demand by 2030.

Some sectors of the German population are pushing to keep existing nuclear plants running, with the EU Commissioner suggesting this as an option.

However, nuclear power is not considered green or sustainable in Germany, and the country's move away from nuclear energy contrasts with the nuclear resurgence in other economies.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has significantly impacted Germany's energy supply chains, with the country facing severe energy supply problems due to the shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

Germany's economy is expected to grow at a rate of 2-3% due to the war, but the country is also experiencing higher inflation rates above 5% due to disrupted supply chains.

The German government has seized three Russian refineries to secure energy supply, including the PCK Schwedt, MiRo, and Bayernoil refineries, which were previously owned by Rosneft.

The EU has accused Russia of using energy as a weapon, and Russia has limited its natural gas supply to EU countries, including Germany.

Germany has committed to slashing its dependence on Russian oil and has announced a $997 million package for eastern states to support the transition.

The country is also exploring alternative energy sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, with two new terminals under construction in the North Sea.

However, the construction of new LNG terminals takes 3-4 years, and Germany urgently needs new energy infrastructure to replace its reliance on Russian gas.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has accelerated price growth in Germany, including energy prices, and the German Institute for Economic Research expects the war to lead to a fall in Germany's economic performance.

The war has also disrupted Germany's supply chains, particularly in the agricultural sector, as Russia is one of the largest exporters of wheat and fertilizers.

Germany's refusal to ban Russian energy imports has been criticized by Ukraine, with some arguing that it is "morally unacceptable".

The German energy market is facing significant challenges in coping with the loss of nuclear energy, with the country relying heavily on Russian gas for over 50% of its supply.

The shutdown of nuclear plants has affected Germany's energy supply, and some sectors of the population may be pushing to bring nuclear reactors back online, although there is no clear evidence of this.

Cutting Russian gas supply would have a significant impact on the German economy, potentially sending it into recession, and the country is exploring ways to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.

The US has warned that Russia may plan to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, which could further disrupt Germany's energy supply chains.

Overall, the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on Germany's energy supply chains is significant, with the country facing challenges in securing alternative energy sources and reducing its dependence on Russian gas.

Germany plans to delay nuclear power plant closures due to an energy shortage, which was caused by Russia's reduced gas supply.

The country faces an energy shortage crisis this winter due to the reduced gas supply, leading to a reevaluation of its nuclear energy policy.

In fact, 64% of Germans support restarting nuclear power to address the energy crisis, and 40% of Green Party voters also support the nuclear power restart.

Nuclear power could cut Germany's carbon emissions by 25-30 million tons annually, which is a significant reduction.

The German public is experiencing rare power outages due to the energy crisis, and high electricity prices are averaging 0.37 euros per kilowatt-hour.

German companies are struggling to compete with other European countries due to the high energy costs.

Additionally, 61% of Germans support extending nuclear power plant operations, which is a significant shift in public opinion.

The EU Commission has proposed a natural gas conservation plan, and three German nuclear plants are still in operation.

Some experts, including Elon Musk, have suggested keeping German nuclear plants running, and plant operator says NPP Isar 2 can run longer safely.

However, environmental NGOs oppose extending nuclear power plant duration, citing safety concerns.

Germany's nuclear program was planned in the early 2000s, but the country has been moving away from nuclear energy in recent years.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has had a significant impact on Germany's energy supply, with the country facing a winter of recession and possible blackouts due to Russian gas supply cuts.

German public opinion turned against nuclear energy in the 1980s due to a Soviet-funded peace movement, but recent events have led to a shift in public opinion.

Some German politicians are calling for reopening the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to alleviate the energy crisis, while others are pushing for a negotiated peace with Russia.

In fact, 67% of Germans supported a five-year extension of nuclear plants in 2022, and 41% supported constructing new nuclear plants.

The German public opinion on nuclear energy has shifted after the Russo-Ukrainian War, with many citizens seeing nuclear power as a necessary evil to address the energy crisis.

A survey conducted among 1,248 German voters found that 61% support extending nuclear power plants' life, and 56% support increasing load on coal-fired power plants.

However, 36% disapprove of increasing coal power usage, and 32% oppose continuing nuclear power plants' operation.

The German government has been criticized for misleading citizens about nuclear power plant extension risks, and nuclear plant operators have offered to organize fuel deliveries in a reasonable timeframe.

In fact, 65% of Germans see nuclear power as part of EU climate targets measures, and the majority of Germans oppose nuclear power plant shutdown due to fuel concerns.

The German government has pushed to shut down nuclear power despite the energy crisis, but some experts argue that nuclear energy is necessary to meet the country's energy needs.

Germany abandoned nuclear power with the last units shut down, and the country now relies on coal and gas after the nuclear phase-out.

Two-thirds of Germans oppose replacing nuclear energy, and the nuclear phase-out decision was made by Angela Merkel.

The last nuclear reactors were shut down in mid-April 2023, and the initial phase-out date was December 31, 2022.

The Fukushima-1 disaster influenced Germany's nuclear decision, and nuclear reactors generated 6% of Germany's electricity.

Germany struggles with nuclear waste disposal, and the public is unhappy with the government's nuclear energy choice.

Germany decided to withdraw from nuclear power by April 15, 2023, and the country's first nuclear reactor started operation in 1957.

The 1973 oil crisis boosted nuclear energy development in Germany, and the Chernobyl accident in 1986 marked a turning point in Germany's nuclear discussions.

Plans to phase out nuclear power were agreed upon in 2001, and Chancellor Angela Merkel extended nuclear plant operating times in 2010.

The Fukushima accident in 2011 led to a change in Germany's nuclear policy, and the country decided to start a nationwide search for nuclear waste storage in 2017.

Proposals to extend nuclear plant operating times were made in 2022 due to the Ukraine war, highlighting the ongoing debate about nuclear energy in Germany.

Germany closed three nuclear plants by the end of 2021, and the three remaining nuclear plants were scheduled to

Germany has shut down all 17 nuclear power plants by 2022 as part of its energy transition plan.

Title:

Content: The Ukraine War Awakens Europe ’ s Energy Dream
The war in Ukraine has had a profound impact on the world economy.
It will, at least in terms of energy, food, strategic supply chains, finance and the world ’ s currency, international investment, and international big business, subvert the global imagination of the post-Cold War era for three decades.
The pendulum of the global historical process will inevitably swing back in the direction of “decoupling. ”
Limited to space, this is mainly about energy issues.
As the “post-Cold War era ” officially ends and traditional conflicts return to the center of the international stage, energy security is back in the spotlight.
In the Ukraine war, the warring side Russia is one of the most important energy supplies in the world, and the severity of the war of aggression has made it impossible for Russia and the European and American countries to maintain the post-Cold War era of “politics and economics ”.
The “weapon of mass destruction ” in Russia ’ s hands is energy.
Europe and the United States know that energy is Russia's most important export products, blocking energy exports can vigorously hit the Russian economy; but at the same time, it is obvious that reducing Russian energy imports will lead to a shortage of energy supply in Europe and the United States.
The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom can withstand this pain, the United States and Canada have announced that they will stop importing Russian energy, and the United Kingdom has announced that it will stop importing by the end of this year.
But Europe has become a soft spot for the Euro-American Asia-Pacific anti-Russian community, because Europe is too dependent on Russian energy.
Russia is the third largest oil exporter in the world and the second largest natural gas exporter, and Russia is far the first European energy supplier. In 2020, Europe imported a total of 185 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, of which 168 billion were imported by pipeline and 1.7 billion by liquefied natural gas.
This accounts for 36% of total natural gas consumption in Europe.
In the European Union alone, natural gas imports from Russia account for 40% of its total consumption.
Such a massive dependence makes Europe ’ s energy sanctions against Russia seriously inadequate.
At the European Union meeting in Versailles on March 10, the EU announced that it would end its energy dependence on Russia by 2027 (five years later). On June 2, the EU announced the sixth round of sanctions, banning the import of Russian marine oil and reducing its oil imports by 92% by the end of the year.
But it is one thing to say, and whether it can be done is another.
Energy transition and energy crisis
In any case, the war in Ukraine has made the West suddenly aware of the importance of energy security.
Energy is the driving force behind the operation of society.
Energy security is a very important concept in the Cold War era when people were growing up. The oil crisis of the 1970s not only caused oil prices to rise, but even prices were not available, and the “spectacular ” scenarios of refueling such as long queues in front of gas stations can be found in pictures and videos.
Energy issues are so central to social issues, and even the anxiety about the “energy crisis ” in the literature and television works of the time is everywhere.
Remember the famous 1980s cartoon “Transformers ”, the core material of the battle between the Decepticons and the Boxers is the“ energy cube ”, and the two factions contended that “the one who gets the energy brick wins the world ”.
At that time, in order to stabilize the supply of energy, the United States changed its foreign policy and reached a so-called “petrodollar ” agreement with Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Arab world and one of the world ’ s largest oil reserves, to provide security and Saudi Arabia agreed to use the dollar as the only currency for oil.
The United States, with its strong naval power, provides escort for oil exports (shipping).
This system stabilizes the supply of oil from the Middle East and also provides “convenience ” for other countries.
After the end of the Cold War, under the globalization of free trade and global investment, energy production was internationalized, and many international energy companies held shares in each other.
The world rarely has a war that seriously affects the supply of energy, and even if there is a war, it is not to the point of death. The vast majority of energy-producing countries are focused on the economic and trade interests of global energy production, and they can usually guarantee the basic normal supply of energy in times of conflict.
Energy security issues have long been ignored.
In the post-Cold War era, energy issues were still very important on the international agenda, but “energy security ” fell back to the second line, and the focus quickly shifted to“ carbon reduction. ”
The rise of climatism in the face of the "crisis" brought about by global climate change.
Climatologists believe that: First, global climate change is the most important crisis of the earth, which will lead to the whole ecological deterioration, sea level rise, humanitarian disasters, and even human destruction and other tragedies; Second, the cause is mainly human carbon dioxide released when a large amount of fossil energy is used to cause global warming; Third, positive emission reduction can prevent the crisis.
Under this “three-paragraph theory ”, climatologists actively promote“ carbon reduction ” and dominate the post-Cold War energy agenda.
There are two ways to reduce emissions.
The first is to reduce energy consumption, which does not contradict the concept of energy security: less energy is used, and energy security is naturally easier to guarantee.
The second is the energy transition from “dirty ” traditional energy to“ clean ” energy.
It is this energy transition that has transformed the landscape of energy production and trade.
Countries that previously had abundant coal mines, such as Germany, had to import a large amount of natural gas because of the rush to phase out coal-fired power generation, renewable energy sources could not keep up, and there was a huge gap in energy supply; after the start of the electric vehicle revolution, the demand for electricity rose further, so the demand for natural gas was higher.
In this two-pronged way, the whole society is over-reliant on natural gas.
From the perspective of energy security, it is self-defeating.
Of course, Germany is even more amazing, even if it has not completely eliminated coal, but it has not dug up coal, and instead imported from Russia.
Another factor in Europe ’ s increased reliance on natural gas is the decline in the use of nuclear energy.
As mentioned earlier, nuclear energy is a clean energy source in the sense of carbon emissions.
After the Cold War, the share of nuclear power in Europe increased.
However, nuclear waste disposal and the safety of nuclear facilities have always been a concern.
But since 2005, nuclear power has been in decline: Europe ’ s old nuclear plant life cycle has gradually expired, and Europe (except the United Kingdom and France) has stopped building new plants.
On this issue, Germany is leading the European trend, because Germany ’ s anti-nuclear movement is the most powerful.
In particular, after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011, there were massive anti-nuclear demonstrations in Germany, and Merkel announced that all 17 nuclear power plants in the country would be shut down by 2022.
It is with Germany that other countries in Europe have accelerated the nuclear abolition project.
Nord Stream 2 highlights Germany's lack of big power
Germany, as a bad example, relies too much on “hostile states ” (Russia) in addition to abandoning coal mines and nuclear weapons.
The dispute over the North Stream 2 pipeline is best known.
Nord Stream II was a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea (alongside the original Nord Stream I).
Germany built this pipeline for two purposes.
The first is the energy gap, and the second can double the supply of natural gas from Russia to Germany.
Second, other natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany have to pass through Poland and Ukraine, and every time Russia uses the "energy card" to threaten to "cut off" Ukraine, it will also cause Germany to "suffer", which affects Germany's natural gas supply, but also makes Russia's "energy card" scruples.
"North Stream 2" can greatly alleviate this problem.
International large-scale natural gas transmission generally has two methods.
The traditional way is through the pipeline of the gas pipeline, natural gas is continuously transported from the source of production to the destination.
The emerging method is liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is liquefied at the production site and then transported to the destination by giant specialized vessels to re-gasify the LNG at the receiving station.
The two are better than each other.
The early investment in the pipeline method is huge (construction of pipelines), but the operating costs are relatively cheap after construction.
LNG transportation costs are generally higher than gas pipelines, plus the conversion costs from gas to liquid to gas.
In terms of transportation costs alone, the shorter the distance, the greater the cost advantage of the gas pipe; the longer the distance, the closer the transportation cost of LNG will be to the gas pipe or even lower than the gas pipe.
It is estimated that at about 700 miles, LNG transportation costs will be lower than subsea pipelines, and at about 2,200 miles, LNG will be lower than terrestrial pipelines.
From the price point of view, Europe, especially Germany, is the most economical way to import from Russia.
However, this is only based on price considerations, and if you add the national security perspective of energy security, the consideration is completely different.
The gas pipeline model is a "binding mode", after the huge construction of the gas pipeline linking the two countries, it is difficult to abandon the gas pipeline, and can not use the pipeline to transport natural gas from other countries, so the energy will depend on the exporting country for a long time.
LPG is a "non-binding mode", as long as there is a receiving station, the purchase from any country is transported by ship.
For Germany and Europe, plus Russia, which supplies pipeline gas, is an enemy, and the United States, which supplies liquefied petroleum gas, is an ally.
During the Trump administration, Nord Stream II became the focus of the contradiction of virtue.
The United States believes that Russia is a hostile country, Germany should not further increase its dependence on Russia on the important issue of energy, Nord Stream 2 should be stopped, and the United States announced sanctions.
The United States also took the opportunity to sell liquefied natural gas to the United States.
The position of the Trump administration is completely correct. Unfortunately, the relationship between the United States and Europe is very poor during the Trump period, and the sanctions are too harsh.
In Germany under Merkel, there is also the argument that the United States is less reliable than Russia.
This enabled Germany to press ahead with the construction of Nord Stream II, knowing that Russia had annexed Crimea and threatened European security.
Under this trend of thinking, Europe has further increased its dependence on Russian energy.
In fact, since 2009, Europe has been aware of its deep and growing dependence on Russian energy.
Even after the Crimea incident in 2014, Europe continued to increase its natural gas imports from Russia, and began importing Russian liquefied natural gas in 2017.
The reason for this, in addition to economic costs, is also due to the continuous decline in natural gas production in Europe itself (the North Sea gas fields are beginning to dry up).
In fact, Europe has been anaesthetizing itself, dreaming that Russia, no matter how bad, can not prevent the normal supply of energy to Europe.
However, the Russian invasion has awakened Europe ’ s “energy dream. ”
(This article is excerpted from Li ’ s book “The Disintegration of Empire and the Fortress of Freedom: Historical Origins, Geopolitics, and Justice in Ukraine ’ s War Against Russia ”, provided by Eight Banners Culture)
Extended reading
Thematic book exhibition on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict
What do Chinese forces want to enter the United States in Beijing?
Cold and sad?
The link between climate and happiness
Bureaucratic zombie policies.

The country's nuclear phase-out plan started over 20 years ago, with the anti-nuclear movement emerging in Germany in the 1970s.

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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The German government pledged to phase out nuclear power in the 2000s, and the Fukushima accident in 2011 accelerated this process.

Germany aims to achieve its green goal without nuclear power, with three plants closed: Emsland, Isar 2, and Neckarwestheim.

The country's energy transition has increased its reliance on natural gas, compromising energy security, as Germany relies heavily on Russian energy imports.

The EU aims to end energy dependence on Russia by 2027, and Germany's energy market transition is affected by this goal.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has impacted Germany's energy supply, with the country facing severe energy shortages due to Russian gas supply cutoffs.

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The upper house of Germany's parliament signed off on a number of major legislative packages on Friday aimed at helping address inflation and soaring energy costsImage: Wolfgang Kumm/dpa/picture alliance
PoliticsGermany

Germany approves welfare reform, extends nuclear power

2 hours ago

Germany's upper house of parliament approved measures aimed at helping people hit hard by high energy prices and the high cost of living. The country's nuclear power extension will also take effect immediately.

https://p.dw.com/p/4K5HV

The upper house of Germany's parliament, the Bundesrat, approved extending the use of three nuclear power plants, overhauling unemployment benefits and other major legislation on Friday after heated debate among lawmakers.

After receiving approval from the Bundesrat, the measures will soon enter into law. DW breaks down what's set to change in 2023.

Nuclear power extension

The Bundesrat signed off on the extension of three nuclear power plants after the lower house, the Bundestag, approved the move earlier this month.

The nuclear plants — Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland — will remain operational until April 2023 to provide enough power through the winter. The facilities had been slated to close at the end of this year under Germany's nuclear phaseout plans.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to extend the life of the nuclear plants after Germany found itself facing a severe energy shortage. Russia turned off supplies of gas in response to the backlash over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The extension was bitterly debated among Scholz's center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist Greens and the pro-free market Free Democrats (FDP).

With Friday's approval from the upper house, the nuclear power plant extension will take effect immediately.

Germany set to keep nuclear plants running

Unemployment reform

Germany is set for a major welfare overhaul after the Bundesrat signed off on a compromise to reform unemployment benefits.

The changes will go into effect as of January 1, 2023, replacing the current and frequently criticized "Harz IV" unemployment benefits system that has been in place since 2005.

Under the new "Bürgergeld" system (which means "citizen's money"), those who are unemployed will get higher benefits and better vocational skills training.

The initial proposal by Scholz's government was rejected by conservative lawmakers in the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) bloc. Under the compromise, benefits could be cut during a six-month "trust period" if an unemployed person is deemed to not be looking hard enough for work.

According to the plans, those receiving benefits will also get more support in job training programs to prepare for permanent employment. The change also is an attempt to mitigate the shortage of skilled workers Germany is currently experiencing.

"This reform is a milestone of social policy in Germany," Scholz told the magazine Focus on Friday after the votes. "This reform put assistance for untrained people who belong to the long-term jobless front and center."

The measure must still be signed by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, although nearly all measures approved by the Bundesrat are signed-off by the president.

More money for Germany's unemployed?

Tax relief, higher child benefits

With inflation hitting consumers hard, lawmakers approved measures aimed at softening the blow.

The upper house approved legislation that would help people who receive pay raises that adjust for inflation. The new measures would prevent people having to pay more taxes due to pay raises.

Starting in January 2023, child benefit payments will also be raised. Families will now receive €250 ($260) per month for each child in the household.

The change is a big jump from the current system, which saw parents receive €219 per month for their first and second child, €225 per month for a third child, and €250 for each additional child.

More support for renters

The upper house of parliament also greenlit a law that seeks to help renters deal with skyrocketing heating costs.

Starting from January 1, renters will no longer have to shoulder the costs of heating with oil and natural gas — landlords and property owners will have to chip-in as well.

For buildings that are not energy efficient and produce a high proportion of CO2 emissions, landlords will need to pay more — and not the renters.

In addition, more people in low-income households will receive a housing allowance from the government. The expansion to the law means 1.4 million households are eligible for the payments, as opposed to the current 600,000 households that qualify.

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

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Germany may delay decommissioning its last three nuclear plants temporarily to avoid using natural gas or coal-fired power.

Title:

Content: Germany ’ s last three nuclear power plants may be delayed
In light of the potential energy crisis in Europe in the winter, officials revealed that Germany intends to delay the decommissioning of the last three nuclear plants in the country, although it will only temporarily prolong the life of the plants, but it marks the first time that Germany has deviated from the energy policy introduced in the millennium and has so far been enshrined by almost all parties.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted senior officials as saying that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not yet formally adopted the proposal to delay the discharge, and if it is decided to do so, there are technical and legal issues, including passing through parliament.
The cabinet is currently discussing some details, and while it will have to wait for the results of the energy demand assessment in the coming weeks to come to a conclusion, officials have revealed that everything is almost a foregone conclusion.
The last three nuclear plants in Germany were due to be decommissioned on December 31, and the government reportedly believes that a temporary delay would require two conditions: Germany is likely to suffer from a natural gas shortage and there are no safety concerns about keeping nuclear reactors in operation.
The shift in German policy underscores the shock of Russia ’ s invasion of Ukraine to European political circles, especially Germany, which has been closely tied to Russia ’ s economy and has long relied on Russian gas supplies.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he began to increase military spending, send weapons to Ukraine, break years of pacifism, supply arms to conflict zones, the latest energy policy shift, and involve the almost sacred issue of “nuclear abolition ” in German politics.
The German economy ministry, which dominates energy policy, declined to comment on the report, saying only that it all depends on the outcome of an assessment of Germany ’ s energy needs.
The remaining three nuclear power plants account for about 6% of Germany's electricity generation, and if they continue to supply power, they will not have to use natural gas or coal-fired power to fill the gap, allowing some areas to continue to have natural gas.
In some parts of Germany, huge coal-fired power plants have resumed operations in response to a potential power outage from a Russian supply cut in June, disrupting Germany ’ s progress so far in reducing carbon and fighting air pollution.
The German government has drawn up two executive orders on how to reduce natural gas and energy consumption over the next two years.
Energy authorities estimate that Germany will need to reduce its use of natural gas by 20% in order to avoid a shortage of natural gas this winter and next.
It is unclear when the German authorities may extend the discharge period, with some officials offering a few months, but the ruling Liberal Democrats believe it should be extended to 2024.
Extended reading
Related Posts

The temporary delay requires no safety concerns and is aimed at reducing gas shortages, as Germany needs to reduce natural gas use by 20% to avoid shortages.

The German government has drawn up plans to reduce energy consumption, and the delay aims to assess energy needs before deciding on the delay.

Germany's progress in reducing carbon emissions has been disrupted due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the country is adjusting its energy mix.

Title:

Content: Russia, Ukraine under international sanctions to reduce dependence on Moscow for natural gas supply
BERLIN (AFP) – Moscow ’ s invasion of Ukraine highlights Germany ’ s dependence on Russian gas, forcing Europe ’ s largest economy to urgently adjust its domestic energy mix.
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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)

The country plans to phase out coal power generation by 2038 and has invested in new economic opportunities during the coal phase-out.

Title:

Content: What On Earth·New

Denmark is getting off fossil fuels. Are there lessons there for Canada?

After more than a decade spent thinking about fossil fuels and climate change, Angela Carter was looking for a “beacon of hope” to inspire Canada with alternative visions for what an oil and gas-dependent society could become.

With oil and gas demand forecast to peak before 2030, academics, workers and union leaders look to what's next

After more than a decade spent thinking about fossil fuels and climate change, Angela Carter was looking for a "beacon of hope" to inspire Canada with alternative visions for what an oil and gas-dependent society could become.

Carter, an energy transition specialist with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, found that hope when Denmark made a landmark decision to cancel future permitting for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea in late 2020.

A country of 5.8 million people, Denmark earned the equivalent of $109 billion from oil and gas extraction in the North Sea between 1972 and 2020. The country aims to be independent of fossil fuels by 2050, and has committed to renewable power for all energy demands — including electricity, heating, industry and transportation — by that date.

In November 2021, Denmark was one of the founding members of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, along with six other countries and the province of Quebec.

It made Carter curious to understand why a country so "entrenched" in fossil fuels would decide on "an end date on its fossil fuel extraction," she said. She followed her curiosity to Denmark to find out.

With many analysts forecasting fossil fuel demand to peak and start dropping by 2030, academics like Carter, concerned workers and union leaders are having conversations about what this means for jobs and communities.

There's fear among Canadian workers that the energy transition will leave them out. But some are looking internationally to Denmark and Germany for inspiration on how to adapt.

The 'ingredients' to energy transition in Denmark

Esbjerg, a town on Denmark's west coast, has long been a hub for industry in the North Sea. As its large fishing industry began to decline, offshore oil and gas development took off in the early 1970s.

Now, wind turbines and related technology make up a multibillion-dollar export industry

Walking around the town's port, Carter found the hope she'd looked for. "The blades on these wind turbines are over 100 metres long. It's hard to imagine even the scale of them. And they're everywhere," she said.

Seeing the wind industry in Denmark first-hand was, to Carter, the promise of "what the future can be" in Canada.

She compared Denmark's energy transition to making a cake. The "ingredients" include government investment, climate and energy policy, support for workers — and importantly, "massive public engagement," she said.

Extreme heat and drought conditions in Denmark over the summer of 2018 put climate change in the spotlight, prompting protests ahead of the 2019 election. Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen won on a platform that included climate change.

The Danish government decided to revisit the upcoming licensing round to explore for oil and gas in the North Sea "in light of the elections and in light of the … public demands for climate action," said Jens Mattias Clausen, EU director for Concito, a Copenhagen-based think-tank.

At the time, Clausen worked for Denmark's ministry of climate and energy. The French oil and gas company Total withdrew its application for further offshore exploration "because of the uncertainty" the delays in licensing had caused, said Clausen.

How government helped build supply chains in wind energy

Where controversy has been a recent hallmark of public debate about energy transition in Canada, things are less polarized in Denmark, said Jesper Bank, the chief commercial officer at Port Esbjerg.

"We do not see this transition as a choice between one type of energy or another type of energy, we see this as a progression or a natural development," he said.

In 2021, 43.8 per cent of Denmark's power production was from wind electricity from both on and offshore turbines, according to the International Energy Agency. But the success of wind energy in Denmark didn't happen without help from the Danish government. Some of that came in the form of funding to build wind farms.

"That was a good way to build up supply chains," said Bank, explaining that by about 2019, the wind farm proposals no longer needed financial support because the industry had taken off.

"Then we started investing in vessels," he said. "The port started investing in more direct infrastructure for offshore wind."

Bank has toured guests from around the world through the busy port — in one week alone welcoming visitors from port associations in Poland and Baltic countries, an Australian government official and a group from the Netherlands.

Denmark has become a destination for visitors from Canada, too. Last month, employees from the Nova Scotia government visited to learn lessons as it embarks on a plan to develop an offshore wind farm by 2030 to produce green hydrogen.

Support for workers key to Danish energy transition

When Jakob Lykke was growing up in Esbjerg, his future career seemed inevitably tied to the North Sea: working in the shipping, fishing or fossil fuel sectors.

"I chose the oil and gas [sector]," said Lykke, who now works as a union leader representing workers at the port, called dockers.

Many dockers work in both offshore wind and offshore oil and gas, he said, describing them as "ready to do the job" of working in the wind sector as more work becomes available with Denmark's push to build more offshore turbines.

The "Offshore Academy" allows workers to study full time for as short as a week up to a few months, learning skills that allow them to hop between industries, all while making what Lykke calls "a decent salary."

Angela Carter noticed that oil and gas workers thought of themselves as "energy workers" and were "delighted to make that transition" to wind if jobs were available.

"If we can unlock this in the Canadian context, we can't help but win."

Worker fears of what might be lost

In Canada, there are signs of change in the oil and gas sector.

In 2022, about 126,000 people were employed in oil and gas extraction and support services, compared to about 158,000 in 2012, according to Statistics Canada.

But some Canadian workers say renewables don't currently offer the same quality of life.

"I have had offers to go work in wind farms and … [it] just wasn't financially beneficial to me to do it," said a Newfoundland oil and gas worker named Chris in an interview with Laura Lynch for What On Earth.

CBC has agreed not to use his last name to protect his job security in his role working for a company that does inspections for industry, including oil and gas sites.

Chris lives an hour outside of St. John's with his wife and young child, and normally travels across Canada for work on various industrial sites.

"Our system is based around money, unfortunately, so it really limits my ability and my drive to seek out those jobs," he said.

"Everybody keeps talking about these so-called green jobs," said Terry O'Connor, who is a heavy equipment operator on oil and gas construction projects and lives in Pemberton, B.C. "Where are they? What are they?"

How worker opposition lead to change in Germany

Making sure workers were financially supported was a crucial part of another case study Angela Carter and other academics have studied: Germany's plan to phase out coal, which started for economic reasons decades ago, before climate concerns.

After Germany signed coal import agreements with other countries in the wake of the Second World War, it saw its domestic industry rebound in the late 1950s, creating a glut quite literally piling up outside mines, said Petra Dolata, an energy historian and associate professor at the University of Calgary.

The first big protest by miners happened in 1959, said Dolata, who grew up in Germany's Ruhr Valley, a coal mining region. Workers speaking up for their job security would play a large role in the phaseout of coal in the coming decades. Between then and the mid-1960s, 165,000 miners lost their jobs, she said.

Because of public outcry, Germany made a plan to support workers.

Unions, industry and governments "sat together and talked about, 'How can you make this phaseout, this closing of mines, more socially acceptable?'" said Dolata.

The result was the creation of a "semi-public" coal company in 1969, which covered about 80 per cent of coal mines. It was based on what Dolata translates as "the German coal adjustment act."

The act mapped out a "controlled phaseout" that allowed workers at closing coal mines to find work at other mines within the company, and offered retraining to other employees.

While Germany was subsidizing the coal industry, it also invested in new economic opportunities in the region, including car manufacturing, textile factories and universities.

Energy transition not just about climate

Germany's last hard coal mine closed in 2018 and a full phaseout of coal power generation is planned for 2038 as part of the country's climate plan.

Carter says there's an economic case for Canada to invest in new industries like Germany did.

"If we know that global oil demand is declining … preparing for that and preparing communities and workers is really … an essential act to take right now," she said.

Germany's coal phaseout slowed down in the 1970s and 1980s when the global oil crisis hit, but by the 1990s things started to change.

"In 1997, the German government at the time announced that it would no longer be willing to subsidize coal the way it did before, and that really was a major turning point," said Dolata.

Again, miners took to the streets, prompting renewed government support for workers. Her father, Werner Dolata, found out that he would start his own phaseout to retirement early, at age 53. While it meant some financial loss, he was happy for the new plan, calling it Geschenk des Lebens, roughly translated to "gifted life."

Not all workers were as well protected as Dolata's father, she said. For example, women working in stores in mining towns who lost jobs as their workplaces closed.

"That's for me the interesting parallel when we even talk about Alberta," said Dolata. People who aren't directly employed in the sector may have fears or "trepidations about what would happen to a region that is so defined and identifies with one energy carrier," she said.

In January, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the term just transition "divisive, polarizing language." In March, the federal government released its Sustainable Jobs Plan, dropping the term just transition.

"This has become almost a moral battle.… Either you believe that we need to stop producing oil and gas or you don't," said Dolata. "That's a very different battle than saying we need to make sure that people keep their jobs."

Dolata thinks a key lesson Canada could learn from Germany is the role that unions played in negotiating with industry and government to provide support for workers.

A spokesperson with the Natural Resources Canada said the federal government plans to release its sustainable jobs legislation by the end of 2023.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Molly Segal

Climate and environmental journalist

Based in Vancouver, Molly Segal covers climate change for CBC Radio’s What On Earth, which received the inaugural Canadian Journalism Foundation award for climate solutions coverage. Molly’s producing and documentary work has taken her to the UN climate talks in Glasgow, in search of elusive wolverines in the Rocky Mountains, and riding along with ranchers to learn how to get along with wolves. Molly was a 2019-2020 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she studied the history of scientific misinformation and climate change technologies. Share story ideas to molly.segal@cbc.ca.

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Germany's energy transition has an economic case, and the country is driving down solar panel and wind turbine prices.

Title:

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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Renewables covered 54% of Germany's power consumption in January and February, and the country aims to increase renewable energy to 80% by 2050.

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Energy transition
Germany ’ s Energiewende is a national energy system reform strategy aimed at reducing the country ’ s total energy consumption and eventually withdrawing from the use of nuclear energy.
The German “Energiewende ” energy transition has become a new term widely quoted in the English-language media, and Germany plans to increase the share of renewable energy to 80% by 2050.
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Germany targets 215 GW solar capacity by 2030 and 110 GW onshore wind capacity by 2030, with plans to spend €20 billion on the hydrogen industry by 2027.

Title:

Content: There were 1,584 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 428,843 in the last 365 days.

Four questions for Germany’s big hydrogen power plan

The German government is proposing to invest billions of euros to support the roll-out of a wave of hydrogen-fired power plants. This is part of a move to phase-out coal plants and to deploy large volumes of wind and solar generation.

Details of the hydrogen plan – the Kraftwerksstrategie or KWS – became available on 5 February through a press release from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action 1 , which confirmed government agreement on the scheme. The plan is now subject to the approval of the European Commission and negotiations with the German parliament.

The planned hydrogen subsidies would have a transformative impact on both the German and European electricity markets. But discussions on the plans during 2023 were the privilege only of those inside ministries. Given the importance of these plans, the lack of public debate or transparency so far, especially at European level, is concerning.

In this context, and to inform the debate that will now start, we pose four questions: Why hydrogen? What are the ramifications for the European market? Where in Germany? By when should coal be phased out?

An unprecedented transformation of the German electricity system

Germany wants 80 percent of domestic electricity generation to be renewable by 2030, up from 44 percent in 2022 2 . Specifically, this involves reaching an installed generation capacity of 215 gigawatts solar, 110 GW onshore wind and 30 GW offshore wind by 2030, more than doubling existing capacities in the next six year 3 .

Germany’s governing coalition must also decide whether to bring forward the legally-specified coal phase-out date from 2038 to 2030. Bringing it forward would imply replacement of an additional 17 GW of lignite and coal plants by 2030 4 , on top of 13 GW of plants already scheduled for shut down.

All this means restructuring the electricity system at unprecedented speed. To accompany variable renewables, the deployment of clean-generation capacity that can smooth fluctuations in renewable output – both intra-day and across seasons – is necessary. However, exactly how much new capacity is required, and from which technology, is not clear.

What does Germany aim to do? Principles and compromises

The main thrust of the power plant strategy is to provide subsidies for hydrogen-fired power plants. The German government sees these plants as replacements for coal-fired plants that will shut down, and as complements to variable renewable generation, most likely by helping to balance longer-term fluctuations in renewable output. This is consistent with the German government’s grander ambitions for hydrogen. Plans are being drawn up for a hydrogen pipeline network that will cover 10,000 km by 2032 5 , and up to €20 billion will be spent developing the hydrogen industry between 2024 and 2027 6 .

The government originally wanted to support three types of plant: 1) hydrogen sprinters, 2) hydrogen hybrid, and 3) hydrogen-ready. Sprinters are purpose-built turbines that would run on hydrogen from day one. Hybrids involve the co-location of hydrogen capabilities alongside solar PV or onshore wind, which could even out the electricity sent to the power grid 7 . Hydrogen-ready plants would be plants with gas-fired turbines, and a requirement to provide a detailed roadmap showing how they will switch to hydrogen no later than 2040.

In August 2023, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action said it had completed negotiations with the European Commission over provision of state aid to these three types of plant 8 . Plans were drawn up to subsidise 4.4 GW of sprinters, 4.4 GW of hybrid plants, and up to 15 GW of hydrogen-ready plants. A first tender was intended for December 2023.

However, like so much of Germany’s planned climate expenditure, this agreement was thrown into question by a November 2023 constitutional court ruling that COVID-19 debt allowances could not be rolled over into Germany’s Climate and Transformation Fund (Klima- und Transformationsfonds, KTF), on the basis that the rollover would breach government spending rules 9 . The KTF would have been the source of the originally-planned subsidies for three types of hydrogen plant.

Therefore, a compromise was worked out, culminating in the government’s 5 February announcement 10 . The government now plans to subsidise a lower volume of 10 GW hydrogen-ready turbines and has scrapped plans for the 8.8 GW combined sprinters and hybrids. A tender process will offer state support for the construction and operation of four natural gas-fired power plants. Bidders should draw up plans for transitioning to hydrogen between 2035 and 2040. The estimated cost is €16 billion 11 .

This would create a demand for hydrogen of 20 TWh annually once all plants are converted, assuming 1,000 running hours per year 12 . Demand of 20 TWh is significant but not disproportionate in the context of wider plans. Total German hydrogen demand today is 55 TWh, of which almost none is supplied as clean hydrogen produced using renewable electricity 13 . The German national hydrogen strategy sets a target for between 40 TWh and 75 TWh total clean hydrogen demand in 2030 (BMWK, 2023).

Until plants are converted to hydrogen, they will consume natural gas, again estimated at a 20 TWh annual consumption. This compares to typical annual German gas demand of 800 TWh, which will be substantially lower by 2030.

Read the full analysis at the original link.

About the authors

Ben McWilliams is working for Bruegel as an Affiliate fellow in the field of Energy and Climate Policy. His work involves data-driven analysis to critique and inform European public policy, specifically in the area of the energy sector and its decarbonisation.

Georg Zachmann is a Senior Fellow at Bruegel, where he has worked since 2009 on energy and climate policy. His work focuses on regional and distributional impacts of decarbonisation, the analysis and design of carbon, gas and electricity markets, and EU energy and climate policies.

The country will subsidize 10 GW of hydrogen-ready turbines, with an estimated cost of €16 billion, and targets 40-75 TWh clean hydrogen demand by 2030.

Some sectors of the German population are pushing to keep existing nuclear plants running, with the EU Commissioner suggesting this as an option.

Title:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More from ... Louise Guillot

However, nuclear power is not considered green or sustainable in Germany, and the country's move away from nuclear energy contrasts with the nuclear resurgence in other economies.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has significantly impacted Germany's energy supply chains, with the country facing severe energy supply problems due to the shutdown of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

Title:

Content: (Bloomberg) -- The full economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will only be felt later this year, warned Christian Sewing, the chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank AG in an interview with Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

“Many side effects of this war will only become apparent in the second half of the year,” Sewing said when asked if a recession looms if the war continues for longer. “Consumption will fall, inflation will rise anyway and may remain above 5% for longer.” Supply will also be tight due to disrupted supply chains, he added.

Sewing said he expects the European Central Bank to raise interest rates in the second half of the year. “In the end, our economy is not likely to grow by 4% or 5% as originally assumed, but by 2% to 3%. In our base scenario, I don’t expect a recession yet.”

Sewing also said:

  • “We should let the current sanctions unfold their effects. They do enormous harm to the Russian economy. We see this in the Russian financial market, which is down.” And while they may have negative effects on us, “we have to keep this up.”
  • “We have to set sanctions so that they hurt Russia more than they hurt us”
  • Shutting down the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline would soon lead to major energy supply problems and significantly higher prices in Germany
  • As long as energy imports from Russia are still possible, the German economy should hold up well
  • If the latest nuclear power plants are really as safe as some say, Germany should “at least examine” them instead of “ruling out nuclear energy”

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Germany's economy is expected to grow at a rate of 2-3% due to the war, but the country is also experiencing higher inflation rates above 5% due to disrupted supply chains.

The German government has seized three Russian refineries to secure energy supply, including the PCK Schwedt, MiRo, and Bayernoil refineries, which were previously owned by Rosneft.

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Content: Advertisement

Germany seizes 3 Russian refineries in energy row

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 16. He announced the seizure of three Russian refineries in Germany on Friday. File Photo by Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Germany seized three Moscow-linked oil refineries in its country on Friday, in an escalation of the energy war between Russia and European countries in the shadow of the war in Ukraine.

The German government placed shares of the refineries PCK Schwedt, MiRo in Karlsruhe and Bayernoil in Vohburg under its control. All three are owned by the Russian energy company Rosneft.

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"The decision is accompanied by a comprehensive package for the future, which will provide a transformational boost for the region and support the refinery to ensure the supply of oil via alternative supply routes," Germany's economy ministry said in a translated statement.

The European Union has accused Moscow of using energy as a weapon of war, with Russia limiting its supply of natural gas to the countries in response to sanctions placed on the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine.

RELATED European Central Bank raises interest rates by three-quarters of a point

The European Union has committed to slashing its dependence on Russian oil, claiming it has fueled Moscow's war against Ukraine. Rosneft Deutschland is one of the largest oil processors in Germany, making up 12% of the country's processing capacity.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was doing everything possible to ensure Germany's energy security since Russia was no longer a reliable energy supplier.

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He said taking the plants was a "far-reaching energy policy decision to protect" the country. Scholz said the Schwedt refinery in the eastern state of Brandenburg, supplies 90% of fuel to the German capital of Berlin.

Scholtz also announced a $997 million "future package" for eastern German states over several years following Rosneft decision.

RELATED Germany rejects Polish report saying it owes World War II reparations

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The EU has accused Russia of using energy as a weapon, and Russia has limited its natural gas supply to EU countries, including Germany.

Germany has committed to slashing its dependence on Russian oil and has announced a $997 million package for eastern states to support the transition.

The country is also exploring alternative energy sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, with two new terminals under construction in the North Sea.

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.
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However, the construction of new LNG terminals takes 3-4 years, and Germany urgently needs new energy infrastructure to replace its reliance on Russian gas.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has accelerated price growth in Germany, including energy prices, and the German Institute for Economic Research expects the war to lead to a fall in Germany's economic performance.

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Content: NEWS
3 / 22 / 10 2: 37 PM
Chronicle of Putin's War.
Kiev received $1.4 billion from the IMF
constantly supplemented
DW, LRT.lt, Radio Liberty, Radio LRT2022.03.10 14: 37
Russia continues its military invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24 on the orders of Vladimir Putin.
He called this war “a special military operation in the Donbass. ”
Chronicle of the events of Thursday, March 10 (Vilnius time).
1: 30 p.m.
Moscow City Court reported that the district courts of the Russian capital received 4,355 administrative materials against participants of unauthorized actions from February 24.
1,340 cases have already been dealt with, 228 people have been arrested, and 1,114 people have been fined.
1: 15 PM
Kiev received $1.4 billion from the IMF
Ukraine has confirmed the receipt of $1.4 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as emergency support for the Rapid Financing Instrument.
“The funds under this program will help to finance the priority expenditures of the state budget and support the balance of payments of Ukraine, ” said the head of the National Bank of Ukraine Kyrylo Shevchenko.
The final decision on the use of IMF funds will be made by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, said Shevchenko.
12: 48 PM
The Chinese authorities refused to supply spare parts for aircraft to Russia, said Valery Kudinov, head of the department for maintaining the airworthiness of aircraft of the Federal Air Transport Agency, at a conference on aircraft maintenance.
According to him, now it is planned to look for alternative supplies in Turkey, India and other countries, and this will be dealt with by the airlines themselves.
“We have instructed the airline itself to determine where it has the opportunity to get these parts, ” he said.
12: 10 PM
Meeting of Kuleba and Lavrov ended in Antalya
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that at the meeting in Antalya, issues of opening humanitarian corridors were discussed, primarily in Mariupol, which is in a difficult situation.
“I heard today that the ceasefire is related to the fulfillment of Putin ’ s demands on Ukraine.
Ukraine has not surrendered and will not surrender.
We are ready for diplomatic solutions, but as long as they do not exist, we will selflessly defend our land from Russian aggression, ” said Dmitry Kuleba.
Dmitry Kuleba noted that the negotiations with Sergey Lavrov were difficult.
He stated his readiness to continue this format if the Russian side is ready for further dialogue without clichés and propaganda.
"We do not plan to attack other countries, we have not attacked Ukraine either," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a statement for the third week after the Russian invasion, which the Russian authorities call a "special operation."
At a press conference in Antalya, Lavrov claimed that the war was allegedly provoked by the West, forcing Ukraine to choose between Russia and the West.
“Those who are pumping weapons into Ukraine, of course, should understand that they are responsible for their actions, as well as those who send mercenaries to Ukraine, ” the Russian minister said.
He also said that "in general, the whole operation is going according to plan" and that the Russian Federation supports "any contacts on the problems" of the current conflict in Ukraine.
At a press conference after the talks in Antalya, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the attack of Russian troops on the maternity hospital in Mariupol was targeted.
“A few days ago, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, the Russian delegation presented the facts that this maternity hospital had long been captured by the Azov battalion and other radicals, and all the women in labor, all the nurses and all the staff were expelled from there.
It was the base of the ultra-radical Azov battalion, "he said.
The day before, a maternity hospital and a children ’ s hospital were destroyed in Mariupol.
Kiev emphasizes that this bombing occurred during the ceasefire agreed to evacuate residents.
As a result, according to the Mariupol City Council, three people died, including one child.
Another 17 people - children, women, doctors - were injured.
11: 47 AM
London Imposes Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs
The British authorities imposed sanctions against Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska.
The blacklist also includes the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin, the head of Gazprom Alexey Miller, the head of VTB Andrey Kostin, the chairman of the board of directors of the bank Rossiya Dmitry Lebedev and the head of Transneft Nikolay Tokarev.
11: 40 AM
Since the beginning of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, about 1.43 million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Poland, the Polish border guard agency said on Twitter.
Only for March 9, this figure was about 117,600 people, until 7 a.m. on March 10 - about 22,000.
11: 25 AM
Ukraine ’ s accession to the EU is not “the topic of tomorrow ”, said the Secretary of State for Europe under the Minister of foreign Affairs of France Clement Bon at an informal meeting of heads of state and government of the EU in France.
“It will take some time, ” he said, commenting on Kiev ’ s application for membership in the European Union, filed against the background of the Russian invasion.
11: 05 AM
During the 15 days of the war in Ukraine, from 500 to 700 Russian servicemen surrendered, Ukrainska Pravda writes, citing information received from the office of the President of Ukraine.
The OP reported problems in maintaining relevant statistics due to the large number of direct clashes.
“It is not possible to quickly bring all this into a single table, ” the interlocutor of the newspaper said.
10: 50 AM
In Melitopol kidnapped a deputy of the Zaporozhye regional Council
In Melitopol, a deputy of the Zaporozhye regional council Leyla Ibragimova was kidnapped, a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Eskender Bariev said on Facebook.
According to him, armed men in Russian military uniforms broke into her house in the early morning, conducted a search, seized phones and took Ibragimova “to an unknown destination. ”
10: 35 AM
A meeting of Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Russia Dmitry Kuleba and Sergey Lavrov began in Antalya with the participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said.
Prior to the talks, Cavusoglu held separate meetings with both sides.
After that, separate press conferences of Kuleba and Lavrov are expected.
10: 10 AM
After the bombing of the children ’ s hospital in Mariupol Russian planes injured 17 people (children, women, doctors), three died, among them one child, said Mariupol city Council.
10: 00 AM
Russia refused to participate in the work of the Council of Europe (CoE).
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the “unfriendly states of the EU and NATO ” of abusing the absolute majority in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as well as the destruction of the organization and the“ common humanitarian and legal space in Europe ”.
09: 40 AM
Evacuation on several routes resumed
Evacuation on several routes has resumed in Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Reintegration Iryna Vereshchuk said at a briefing.
From 9.00 humanitarian corridors are open on the following routes: from the city of Trostyanets to Poltava, from Krasnopol to Poltava, from Sumy to Poltava, from Mariupol to Zaporozhye, from Volnovakha to Pokrovsk, from Raisins to Lozova of the Kharkiv region, from Bucha, Borodyanka, Irpen and Gostomel to Kiev and from Stoyanka Ki and Belgorodki in Kiev.
09: 20 AM
More than 10 thousand people were evacuated from Kiev and surrounding settlements on March 9, Governor of the Kiev region Oleksiy Kuleba said on local television.
From Sumy on the same day on buses and private cars were able to leave more than 43 thousand people.
"At night all three columns arrived in Lubny and from there by rail went to the west of the country.
Those who remained in the Poltava region were provided with places for accommodation, ” said the head of the Poltava regional state administration Dmitry Lunin.
09: 03 AM
In London, they say about the slow progress of the military column
According to the British Ministry of Defense, the advance of a long military column to the north-east of Kiev is only at a slow pace.
In addition, this group continues to suffer losses, said the office in London.
In connection with the growing number of casualties among Russian servicemen, Russian President Vladimir Putin is forced to replace losses, including from other sources, the statement said.
In addition, according to the British Ministry of Defense, the activity of Russian military aviation in Ukraine has significantly decreased in recent days.
08: 48 AM
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on the attacks on Ukrainian military equipment and facilities.
"The crews of modern combat helicopters Mi-28N and Ka-52 struck air strikes on fortifications and armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the ministry said in Moscow.
According to these data, Russian forces used missile and small-arms weapons and destroyed tanks, armored vehicles and vehicles.
The combat use of air weapons was carried out alone and as part of pairs in difficult weather conditions, "the statement reads.
08: 30 AM
Danish concern Carlsberg, which includes the Russian brewing company Baltika, stops the production of beer under the flagship brand Carlsberg in Russia and stops the advertising campaign in the Russian market.
At the same time, Baltika will continue to work to support Russian employees and their families, who are “not responsible for the actions of the government, ” Carlsberg CEO Kees ’ t Hart said.
All profits from the Russian business Carlsberg promises to transfer to charity.
08: 10 AM
In the APU said about the frequent desertion of Russians
The Ukrainian military continues to restrain the actions of Russian troops in the Donetsk, Slobozhansky and Tavrichesky operational areas, protect Kharkov and Akhtyrka, continue the circular defense of Mariupol, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
The main efforts are focused on preventing the enemy from advancing in the south-eastern direction, the General Staff said on Facebook.
In addition, the forces of the AFU hold the defense of Chernigov and deter the offensive of Russian troops on Kiev.
"In the southern direction, the enemy is being held in the directions of the city of Kryvyi Rih, Nikolaev, Voznesensk and the village of Novovorontsovka (Kherson region)," the statement reads.
Over the past day, four Su-25 attack aircraft and two helicopters of the Russian Armed Forces were destroyed.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, "the enemy has reduced the pace of the offensive, its personnel are demoralized," and "cases of desertion and looting" have increased significantly.
07: 50
The US House of Representatives approved a $13.6 billion package for military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
It is included in the bill on the federal budget until September 30 of this year, totaling $1.5 trillion and must be approved by the Senate.
The current federal government funding period expires on March 11.
7: 30 AM
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Alexei Reznikov the further provision of military assistance to Kiev.
In addition, the parties discussed “the consequences of Russia ’ s unprovoked, deliberate war against Ukraine, ” Austin wrote on Twitter.
“I highly appreciate the heroic efforts and skill of the Ukrainians on the battlefield, ” he said.
06: 55 AM
The United States moved two Patriot complexes to Poland
As a precautionary measure in connection with the war in Ukraine, the United States moved two Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems from Germany to Poland, a senior Pentagon official said.
“We will not talk about where they are located, nor about the status of their deployment, ” he said.
06: 25
Italian oil and gas group Eni has suspended the conclusion of new contracts for the purchase of oil and oil products from Russia, the press service of the company said in a statement.
05: 55 AM
The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) expects that the war in Ukraine will lead to a fall in Germany ’ s economic performance and acceleration of price growth.
This is not only about energy prices, but also about the supply chains of raw materials such as rare earth metals and food products, since Russia is one of the largest exporters of wheat and fertilizers.
05: 25
Japanese manufacturer of copying equipment Epson announced that against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine stops exporting goods to Russia and Belarus.
The company will also send $1 million to victims of the war through the United Nations and the Red Cross.
04: 55
Ukraine seeks from Germany the refusal of energy supplies from Russia
Before the EU summit in Versailles, Ukraine is intensifying pressure on Germany to stop energy imports from Russia.
In light of the large number of civilian deaths during the war, Berlin ’ s refusal to ban imports is “morally unacceptable, ” said Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk.
“We call on the Germans to make the only right decision and immediately impose this embargo to end Putin ’ s war against Ukrainian women and children, ” the diplomat said.
04: 25
The US administration has warned that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.
Spreading false information about biolaborators in Ukraine, where the Pentagon allegedly developed biological weapons, Moscow wants to prepare the ground for a further escalation of an unjustified aggressive war in Ukraine, said the press Secretary of the President of the United States Jen Psaki.
03: 55 AM
US to form mobile justice teams in Ukraine
The United States is forming mobile justice teams that will help Ukrainian law enforcement with the investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, said the country ’ s Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova.
In particular, we are talking about assistance in the documentation of crimes and their assessment.
03: 25
The governor of the Kharkiv region said that the Ukrainian military had knocked out Russian troops from Dergachi, located northwest of Kharkiv, and was in full control of the territory.
02: 55 AM
American hotel chains Hilton and Hyatt said that they are stopping activities in Russia.
Hilton said it would send aid to war-stricken Ukrainians and, in cooperation with American Express, would provide free accommodation to refugees in its hotels for 1 million nights.
02: 25
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the allocation of $1.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine.
A statement on the fund ’ s website said the payment would help meet urgent balance-of-payments needs and “provide critical support in the short term while playing a catalytic role for funding from other partners. ”
01: 55 AM
The United States has finally rejected Poland ’ s offer to supply MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine through the American Ramstein air base in Germany.
The transfer of fighters to Ukraine could be perceived by Russia as an escalation and therefore would have too “high a risk, ” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in Washington on Wednesday.
01: 25
Britain handed over military equipment to Ukraine
The UK is going to further increase sanctions pressure on Russia to inflict maximum economic damage, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation.
He also confirmed the transfer of new military defensive equipment to Ukraine.
00: 55
The World Economic Forum said it was freezing all relations with Russian sanctioned entities and would not allow anyone on the sanctions list to take part in the annual authoritative forum in Davos.
00: 25
Pentagon Rejects Russian Accusations on Biolabs
The United States does not develop biological weapons on Ukrainian territory, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing, responding to a request to comment on Russia ’ s allegations about the presence of joint biolabs with the United States in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that 30 biological laboratories operated on the territory of Ukraine, which worked with pathogens of dangerous infections.
There was no evidence of this.
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The war has also disrupted Germany's supply chains, particularly in the agricultural sector, as Russia is one of the largest exporters of wheat and fertilizers.

Germany's refusal to ban Russian energy imports has been criticized by Ukraine, with some arguing that it is "morally unacceptable".

The German energy market is facing significant challenges in coping with the loss of nuclear energy, with the country relying heavily on Russian gas for over 50% of its supply.

The shutdown of nuclear plants has affected Germany's energy supply, and some sectors of the population may be pushing to bring nuclear reactors back online, although there is no clear evidence of this.

Title:

Content: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was an intolerable horror from the start. It has escalated into a genocide in what amounts to a terror campaign to subdue a people.

President Joe Biden was correct to call Russian atrocities a genocide, and even if the declaration is not yet official policy, it raises the moral urgency for all free governments to engage in meaningful and even painful steps to defeat a nihilistic and murderous dictator.

The U.S. is again leading the world in confronting a European crisis that threatens to become a global war. U.S. security aid to Ukraine during the Biden administration is now greater than $2 billion. Total European funds to the Ukrainian military forces now total about $1.6 billion.

It’s important that our European allies deepen their commitment to providing direct military aid. But the reality is that Europe’s greatest lever against Russian aggression has yet to be pulled, and that is dramatically reducing the German purchase of Russian energy.

There is no question that this would amount to a great sacrifice for the German people. Cutting off all Russian gas supply would send the German economy into recession. There would also be an impact on the way of life for Germans who rely on Russian gas to heat their homes and power their places of work.

But the corresponding effect on the Russian economy and the Russian war machine would likely be far more impactful.

Alina Polyakova, chief executive of the Center for European Policy Analysis, told us during a recent visit to Dallas that a German decision to stop purchasing Russian energy would alter the course of history.

“It would end the war,” she said. “They would just run out of money.”

The Russian war machine relies on direct payments for energy. Cut off the payments, and you cut off the money.

It’s simple in theory and excruciating in practice because of its real and immediate impact on people’s lives and nations’ economies.

Nevertheless, Germany has a moral imperative to take clear, positive steps toward sharply reducing its purchase of Russian energy, such as reversing a decision to shut off nuclear plants by year’s end. We are talking about ending a genocide, and, as Germany has recognized in its own laws and culture, the nation has an enhanced responsibility in this regard.

Ukrainians have fought bravely and have shown the world that they can defend their nation. But they cannot hold on forever.

Free nations everywhere will have to make sacrifices. We urge Europe to act now to support Ukraine, to help end the war and to benefit all of humanity.

— Tribune News Service

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Cutting Russian gas supply would have a significant impact on the German economy, potentially sending it into recession, and the country is exploring ways to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.

The US has warned that Russia may plan to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, which could further disrupt Germany's energy supply chains.

Overall, the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on Germany's energy supply chains is significant, with the country facing challenges in securing alternative energy sources and reducing its dependence on Russian gas.

Germany plans to delay nuclear power plant closures due to an energy shortage, which was caused by Russia's reduced gas supply.

Title:

Content: 8 / 18 Front of the plate 》 Electric vehicle supply chain 10-gear accelerator
The key news of Taiwan stocks today (8 / 18) is as follows:
A. Advantage factor:
1. The trend of the US dollar has recently fluctuated in the flat market. Commodity trading is mostly priced in US dollars, and the price of raw materials is negatively related to the US dollar. The US dollar is flat, giving raw materials room to rebound.
Observe the trend of global fund managers in August and do more commodities, including 16 stocks of raw materials such as Yunqiang (2034).
Zhilian, Jianxin International, Guantian Steel, Hingnong, Yue Hing, Yunqiang, Juheng, International China Rubber, Siwei Airlines, Yumin, Sinopec, FTC, Nandi, Shangpin, Taini, Hengyao and other 16 stocks of raw materials stocks, rose by more than 1.6% on the 17th.
2. Liqing (3346) announced that it won the Tesla order, and began to supply the tail lamp parts of Model 3 and Model Y at the end of the third quarter. Dongyang (1319) invested in Fuwei Dongyang, respectively, won the orders of Shanghai Tesla and China FAW Volkswagen electric vehicle parts.
At present, among Taiwan 's listed cabinet auto parts manufacturers, including Heda (1536), Jiang Shen (1525), Hechin (1586), Shide (2066), Tongzhi (3552), Lianjia (6288) and other operators into the Tesla supply chain, including Yingli-KY (2239), Precision (3162) and other operators, also into the electric vehicles of mainland private brands and European brands. (Read more)
3. MOSFET (MOSFET) factory Fuding (8261) obtained the private placement of Kuo Chuang Semiconductor, and actively moved toward the field of electric vehicles.
Fuding has been able to mass-produce 1,200V high voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules.
Silicon carbide (SiC) applications have also completed the development and commissioning of 600V Schottky Diodes (SBD), 900V and 1,200V high-voltage MOSFETs, which are expected to take the lead in the electric vehicle supply chain of Honghai MIH Alliance.
4. The head of the Taiwan stock bulls - the investment industry again wrote a record 39 days of buying super, the "gold deposit tail" of the investment pension stocks, financial stocks and TSMC tail, the weighted index rose by a surprise, to 15,465 points up 44 points to close, a new high in a month and a half.
The three major investment experts unanimously believe that Taiwan stocks stand at a stable seasonal line, and the trend of power and gold transmission has risen, and the pattern of the index's gradual attack has not changed.
5. Electric vehicles will leap into the mainstream of the market, and the electromechanical and electrical industries such as Shidian are originally automobile factory parts suppliers, and the electric vehicle industry has begun to attack the electric vehicle industry earlier than other industries, including Shidian, Dongyuan and large equivalent electromechanical companies, and power systems such as electric cars and buses have entered the harvest period this year.
Among them, both Shengdian and Dongyuan have logistics industries, and cooperate with automobile manufacturers to replace logistics vehicles with electric vehicle power systems.
6. MediaTek has successfully accelerated the development of advanced communication technology for 5G satellite networking. A smartphone equipped with MediaTek ’ s 5G NR non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellite network function chip was successfully connected to a satellite in a laboratory environment test, enabling the world ’ s first 5G mobile phone to support two-way data transmission of non-terrestrial networks.
7. Weihong-KY (8442) on the 17th through the Board of Directors approved the second quarter consolidated financial report, benefiting from the strong global travel bag demand, the second quarter consolidated revenue of 2.372 billion yuan, an annual increase of 66.51%, operating profit of 215 million yuan, an annual increase of 268.7%, net profit after tax of 215 million yuan, an annual increase of 257.97%, EPS $3.59, higher than the same period of 1. It is a new high and surpasses the full year of 2021 at $1.26.
The product structure of Weihong in the first half of the year was 12.39% for sports bags and golf bags, 31.38% for sports gloves and accessories, 32.02% for nylon bags and accessories, 12.17% for leather bags and accessories, and 12.04% for travel cases and bags.
From the perspective of order control, the production schedule of sports accessories, bags, to luxury business bags and suitcases has reached the end of this year, and it is still unable to meet the terminal demand.
8.
Microcontroller (MCU) manufacturer Nuvoton (4919) acquired the Panasonic semiconductor business in Japan, and the non-consumer product line has become more abundant, and it has entered the supply chain of Japanese system manufacturers and first-tier manufacturers.
Newtang has benefited from the success of Japanese automotive, medical and transportation card orders, and the production capacity of the joint venture foundry TPSCo has been handed over to Newtang to maintain full load production, and the operation in the second half of the year is not bearish.
9. The US Federal Reserve (Fed) meeting in July will be released, Taiwan stocks oscillate and wait, capital backhand fire fell deep group, summer peak season into the final impulse period, game stocks 17 days of accumulation "another wave", Huayi (3086), chili (4946), Yuquan (6169), European buyers (3687) lights up.
The legal person pointed out that the US inflation data is cooling, the US stock is stable, Bitcoin confidence is back, and the game stocks with the concept of NFT are expected to gasp, and the market is in the season line turmoil, low-end small and medium-sized stocks are still more expressive space.
10.
Energy crisis overshadowed, Germany, Japan and South Korea nuclear energy policy turn! Foreign media quoted German officials as saying that Russia's reduction in natural gas supply caused Germany to face an energy shortage crisis this winter, has planned to delay the closure of the country's last three nuclear power plants, which means that Germany will for the first time violate the nuclear policy enshrined in 20 years.
In addition, a former top official of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said that Japan's public support for the restart of nuclear power plants has exceeded 60%, the highest since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.
The South Korean government also decided to increase the proportion of nuclear power to 30%.
11. TaiDing-KY (4927) announced the first half of the financial results on the 17th, revenue of 8.116 billion yuan, an annual increase of 20.2%, gross profit of 1.751 billion yuan, an annual increase of 36.4%, net profit after tax of 775 million yuan, an annual increase of 73.9%, a profit per share of 4.08 yuan.
12.
The decline in container shipping prices from the peak of the epidemic is unstoppable, driving the flow of 10 billion yuan of capital from Taiwan stock.
The third quarter is not prosperous, but the freight price is still relatively high. It is expected that the profit of the container pair will be far higher than that of the same period last year. The fourth quarter is a low point. Evergreen, Yangming still have a chance to make a full year this year. About five to seven shares.
13. LED driver IC factory accumulation (3527) announced that the automotive display mini-LED backlight solution has passed the AEC-Q100 vehicle specification certification, will focus on the new energy vehicle mini-LED backlight on-vehicle display market, and lock the automotive front-loading application.
Cumulative third quarter operations were affected by the inventory correction of the consumer electronics production chain, while automotive-related orders maintained stable growth, and stronger sales of new energy vehicles in China will help operational performance.
14. The business opportunities of "hair children" are super strong, not affected by the economic climate. The domestic super business leader unified super vision business opportunities, set up a pet zone in the physical stores, has now expanded to more than 1,200 stores, and introduced more popular pet brands such as Uni-Pao Duofu, Wang Miaojing, Dogman, Sisha and more.
15. Not only tablets iPad and wireless headphones AirPods production in Vietnam, but also Apple Watch and notebook MacBook will follow! In response to Apple 's decision to move some production lines of smart watches and notebooks to Vietnam, Legend has announced that Honghai and China' s foundry Li Xun Precision have begun testing production of Apple Watch in northern Vietnam.
The rising awareness of geopolitical risks, coupled with the catalyst of China's zero clearance policy, has become a market consensus to set up production bases in other countries outside of China to spread the risk.
16. The layout of the Bank of China has turned conservative and exposure has reached a new low.
According to the latest statistics of the Financial Regulatory Commission, the total amount of credit, investment and open deposit of the Bank of China has dropped for five consecutive quarters. Statistics show that by the end of June this year, the exposure of the Bank to the mainland has dropped to 1,195.3 billion yuan, accounting for 29% of the net value.
17. Baocheng invested heavily in Indonesia expansion project this year! Baocheng has invested US $65 million in subsidiary PT. Hardases abadi Indonesia. It plans to make medium and long-term shoe production layout in Central Java, Indonesia. And...
18. Li Yunli, chairman of Nippon Technology, said on the 17th that Nippon created a semiconductor grade precision LED, whether it is investment, equipment, clean room are semiconductor grade, the next 5 to 10 years will continue to microchip, and challenge 3 years to cut into 8 inches of production capacity.
Having worked for 8 years, Li Yunli believes that Neutron is the only company with the technology and production capacity to meet customer requirements. This year's revenue will double to triple, and next year will challenge higher growth.
19. “Indonesia Textile King ” Song Lianghao family added“ West China Fubon ”. According to the latest real price registration, the 34th floor of the Dazhi mansion “West China Fubon ” was sold in July for a total price of 323 million yuan and 2.16 million yuan per ping. The family has invested at least 700 million yuan in the purchase of three households" West China Fubon ".
20. In response to the huge claims that may arise from the epidemic prevention policy, and Thai Property Insurance held a shareholders' meeting on the 17th to amend the articles of association, the capital of the company was raised from 2 billion yuan to 15 billion yuan, and the board of directors of Thai Property also decided at the evening of September 27 to conduct private placements of no more than 1.3 billion ordinary shares in three times within a year. Necessary capital increase procedures.
It is reported that the increase may be fully subscribed by the major shareholders and Tai Motors.
On the 17th, shareholders will temporarily increase the capital of the company from the current 2 billion yuan (200 million shares) to 15 billion yuan (1.5 billion shares).
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on Friday, cutting an estimated $300 billion in fiscal deficits over the next decade by investing in and rewarding clean energy, tackling high drug prices and raising taxes on big businesses to fight inflation.
KKR, Brookfield Asset Management and other companies have recently invested heavily in infrastructure funds, raising new highs this year, indicating that investment institutions are looking to solar power, telecommunications towers, data centers and other infrastructure businesses to thrive amid rising inflation.
In the first half of the year, due to the city's economic performance, even the GDP of Shanghai was overtaken by Beijing for the first time.
In order to speed up the decline, the Shanghai Municipal Government announced on the 17th that it would spend RMB 1 billion to issue three batches of consumption vouchers, and not limited to Shanghai citizens, as long as consumers in Shanghai can participate, the earliest from August 20 open to reservation.
24. Public banks continue to revitalize their assets, including the renovation of old buildings to enhance the overall asset value and urban renewal.
At present, Changhua Bank has a total of six owned premises in Greater Taipei to participate in urban renewal and one owned premises to be rebuilt according to the urban crisis.
25. Taiwan Samsung announced the high-end folding new machine Fold 4, Flip 4 will be listed on September 2, Taiwan Samsung Mobile and Information Division executive vice president Chen Qimeng said, to last year Samsung two folding machine from fruit powder contribution of 30 ~ 45%, folding machine has been attracting fruit powder to Samsung's sharp weapon, and in order to combat inflation, Taiwan Samsung absorbs 8 ~ 10 After the cost increase, the price of the new machine will remain the same as that of the previous generation, and the sales of the two folding new machines will be increased by at least 20% annually.
26. Lun Fei (2364) posted a profit multiple growth and EPS of $1.38 in the first half of the year. Lun Fei (2364) reported a profit increase of nearly 56% in the first seven months of this year. Lun Fei (2364) reported a profit increase of nearly 56% year-on-year. Annual performance of each year.
27. Enterprises actively layout energy saving and carbon reduction, remote operation, virtual reality, simulation operation and other rising market demand, is expected to solve the dilemma of the slow development of Industry 4.0, and promote the acceleration of related technology development, market research units believe that the global smart manufacturing market size will also be affected, the initial estimate by 2026, the global smart manufacturing market size is expected to reach $620 billion.
28. As the United States container scrap steel raw materials market continues to rise, under the pressure of rising raw material costs, the southern steel plant on the 17th issued a limited order, the market is expected to continue to see steel prices next week.
In this regard, steel giant Fengxing (2015) said that to the current international scrap steel trend, the post-market steel prices indeed have the possibility of attack, but the next few days still need to observe the scrap steel trend, to be sure.
29. Special chemicals factory Chi Titanium (3430) general manager Lu Yuhua said that high gross profit original products, new application strategies gradually fermented, because its gross profit rate reached 40%, the overall gross profit rate in the first half of the year increased to 27%, profit increased by 68.18%, EPS 3.53 yuan, a new high for the same period.
With the continuous development of automotive, aerospace, food packaging, medical and other new applications and high gross profit original products, the operation is poised to further advance.
B. Negative factors:
1.
Affected by the global extreme climate, many cities on the mainland have been hot and hot for a long time, and the Yangtze River Basin has fallen into drought, and the amount of water coming from many waterways has suddenly decreased, which has also expanded the domino effect of power restrictions in Sichuan, China's major hydropower province.
In Chongqing, Sichuan Province, power was limited for 11 days starting on the 14th, affecting the Taiwanese business community in the local notebook and semiconductor industry.
Along the Yangtze River delta, Kunshan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, it has been reported that since August, electricity restrictions have been implemented, and enterprises have produced "five to two" or "four to three", while Shanghai, which relies on Sichuan Power for 20% of its electricity consumption, is now facing a power shortage crisis.
2. Chongqing extended the power limit for industrial users to 11 days, the outside world can be shocked, but the industry said that the lack of electricity in Chongqing is not a problem, the lack of orders is a problem!
Laptop foundry said that the increase in the number of limited days will be due to the previous high inventory, its own generators, and shift production, and it can only take one step at a time.
PCB manufacturers also pointed out that they can adjust the response by shifting shifts and their own generators, and this year's peak season is not strong, and the impact of the extension of the limit days is limited.
3. In the first half of this year, affected by the epidemic, especially the closure of Shanghai, the mainland's GDP growth in the second quarter of the year was only 0.4%, dragging down the GDP growth rate in the first half of the year to 2.5%, which is significantly behind the official target of 5.5% economic growth set at the beginning of the year.
Now in the heat of the weather, the mainland this summer again staged the power shortage crisis of last autumn's "pull the gate and limit", which makes the economic growth in the second half of the year more variable, the challenge is even more difficult.
4.
Affected by factors such as the epidemic and fluctuations in the global maritime market, overseas buyers purchased early in 2022, bringing the peak of Christmas supplies procurement in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, the world ’ s largest small commodity distribution center.
However, due to the impact of the epidemic, Yiwu is in a state of "silent management" similar to the closure of the city, causing production and transportation to be blocked, and the risk of buyers canceling orders is greatly increased.
Russia ’ s threat to cut gas supplies in response to European sanctions has left Europe worried about the lack of gas available in winter, but extreme heat waves triggered by climate change have pushed up fuel demand and exacerbated Europe ’ s energy crisis, and European gas prices have closed at new highs.
European countries are trying to store enough natural gas before winter to avoid a rationing dilemma after winter, but recent heatwaves threaten to put Europe ’ s efforts to combat the energy crisis in vain.
6. KY18 was listed on the Innovation Board. In the past two years, KY18 incurred a net loss of 21.57 yuan and 14.14 yuan per share due to a large amount of research and development expenses, but the loss has narrowed by more than 30%.
7. The government has been pushing offshore wind power in recent years, but many banks have expressed "fear" about the demand for large-scale joint loans. Bank executives revealed that the two major concerns during the credit granting are that the original shareholders of offshore wind power (SPV) may "change their cars" before the wind farm is completed. It ’ s like “empty handed. ”
Bank executives frankly say that offshore wind companies emphasize that the relevant phenomenon is "international practice," but in the bank's credit standards, even if the shareholder leverage is too large or the "jump" speed is too fast, it will make the bank "very insecure", especially in long-term project financing, which will increase the credit risk.
The command center estimates that at the end of August there may be a wave of Omicron subtype variant BA.5 brought the threat of a new epidemic, in the border opening to adopt a "stable and open" attitude, commander Wang Bisheng pointed out on the 17th, there is no exact time to open the door for tourism, but there has been a gradual relaxation of the risk of parts of the preparatory work.
In this regard, the tourism industry is very anxious, eager for the government to open as soon as possible.
Inflation in the United Kingdom reached 10.1% in July, a more than 40-year high, and is likely to rise further before the end of the year, driven by continued spikes in energy and food prices.
This not only raised expectations that the Bank of England could rise another two yards in September, but also heightened fears that the economy could slow sharply or even recede.
10. U.S. retail sales were flat month-on-month in July, less than the 0.1% increase expected by the market. Although lower fuel prices dampened gasoline sales, consumers spent the saved money on online shopping, keeping retail sales flat last month.
However, the retail data shows that the growth momentum of consumer spending has indeed weakened significantly due to the impact of high inflation.
Japan ’ s official 17 July trade balance, although exports have expanded for 17 consecutive months, but the Russian-Ukrainian war led to a surge in global fuel and the depreciation of the yen, pushing imports to a record high, resulting in a worsening trade deficit for 12 consecutive months, the longest continuous record in seven years.
Uncertainty in labour negotiations for German port workers and the impact of power restrictions on factory production in the mainland continue to pose significant challenges to the U.S. supply chain as retailers actively prepare for the year-end shopping season.
Despite the collapse of the cryptocurrency market at the beginning of this year, there is still no escape from hacker attacks.
The latest survey by Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm, shows that the total amount of cryptocurrency stolen worldwide in the first seven months of this year was as high as $1.9 billion, an increase of 60% over the same period last year.
Global recession fears and rising inflation hit equity and debt markets, with the world ’ s largest sovereign wealth fund losing US $174 billion in the first half of the year and an overall investment return of minus 14.4%, setting a record for the fund ’ s largest half-year loss in 26 years.
15. Capital giants sold Alibaba ADR in the second quarter of 2022, such as Bridgewater Fund liquidation of 7.48 million ADS, involving more than 700 million US dollars of capital; but the same liquidation, the most fierce selling force is the China Venture Fund, throwing more than 12 million Ali ADS, involving about 1.2 billion US dollars.
The growth of mainland Internet giant Tencent has hit the ceiling, officially turned downward, in the second quarter of 2022, Tencent first revenue recession, the business almost lost growth momentum, the main business of the game revenue also fell in overseas markets for the first time.
17. Bafang gathered on the 17th to hold an online French conference, General Manager Zhang Ruilian revealed that the company acquired chain restaurant Dante Coffee at the end of the previous year, which was dragged down by the impact of the second wave of the epidemic. Although the store model was adjusted and transformed, the results were not as good as expected, and if there was no improvement in the fourth quarter, it would set a stop loss point.
In addition, Bafang gathered in about 20 stores in Fujian, China, which are also affected by the epidemic, and will be evaluated and reviewed together.
Fingerprint recognition chip factory Aegis (6462) lost 4.68 yuan per share in the second quarter, the worst result since its establishment. Li Yiping, the newly appointed chief financial officer, repeatedly said to investors "sorry" at the corporate briefing held on the 17th.
Li Yiping said that Aegis cooperated with other reinvested enterprises such as Jing Sangguang, Anguo, and Xing Ding. Through cost improvement and the introduction of new products, it is hoped that the operation of Aegis will be greatly improved next year.
19. LINGYANG (2401), an IC design company, and LINGYANG (4952) and LINGYANG (5236) jointly held a corporate briefing. In recent years, the group members focused on the automotive market and gradually downplayed the impact of consumer electronics on their operations. The overall impact of the industry is very large, and it is necessary to continue to observe the subsequent changes in market demand.

The country faces an energy shortage crisis this winter due to the reduced gas supply, leading to a reevaluation of its nuclear energy policy.

In fact, 64% of Germans support restarting nuclear power to address the energy crisis, and 40% of Green Party voters also support the nuclear power restart.

Title:

Content: World Vision: Restarting nuclear power, dragging the German government into crisis
November 06, 2022 00: 03
Eastern Network Television
More News Clips
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

Nuclear power could cut Germany's carbon emissions by 25-30 million tons annually, which is a significant reduction.

The German public is experiencing rare power outages due to the energy crisis, and high electricity prices are averaging 0.37 euros per kilowatt-hour.

German companies are struggling to compete with other European countries due to the high energy costs.

Additionally, 61% of Germans support extending nuclear power plant operations, which is a significant shift in public opinion.

Title:

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

The EU Commission has proposed a natural gas conservation plan, and three German nuclear plants are still in operation.

Some experts, including Elon Musk, have suggested keeping German nuclear plants running, and plant operator says NPP Isar 2 can run longer safely.

However, environmental NGOs oppose extending nuclear power plant duration, citing safety concerns.

Germany's nuclear program was planned in the early 2000s, but the country has been moving away from nuclear energy in recent years.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has had a significant impact on Germany's energy supply, with the country facing a winter of recession and possible blackouts due to Russian gas supply cuts.

Title:

Content: How decades of complacency have left Germany facing a cold, dark winter

Betrayed by its own elite, the country is at risk of social unrest

Germany is facing its worst winter for 75 years. The impending catastrophe risks crippling its economy, sweeping away its government and bringing chaos to the heart of Europe.

In 1946-47, perhaps half a million Germans starved or froze to death in their ruined cities. Older Germans still shudder at the memory of the “Hunger Winter”. Some blamed the Nazis, others the Allied occupation. In fact, the British sent food, fuel and clothing they could ill afford to spare themselves.

Now Europe’s largest economy is heading for a winter of recession, rationing and possible blackouts. This time, though, there is nobody to blame except Germany’s complacent – and in some cases corrupt – political establishment.

As Vladimir Putin chokes off Russian gas supplies – already down to a fifth of their pre-war level – by closing the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for “maintenance” yet again next week, the lamps are going out for Olaf Scholz and his “traffic light” coalition of Social Democrats, Liberal and Greens.

'Autumn of rage'

The Bundesbank has been predicting a recession and the latest figures show that business activity is already contracting. Inflation, which hit 8.5 per cent last month, is expected to keep rising along with the rest of the eurozone, probably into double figures.

Yet for historical reasons Germans won’t just accept high inflation as a consequence of the war in Ukraine. The world remembers the hyperinflation that undermined the Weimar Republic a century ago; only older Germans recall the hyperinflation after the Second World War, which lasted longer. For three years Germany’s only stable currency was American cigarettes. No wonder Germans have been allergic to inflation ever since.

It is true that Germans are not yet demanding big pay rises or going on strike. But energy prices are already rising exponentially. The country's one-year ahead power price has skyrocketed to almost €1,000 per megawatt-hour, a jump of more than 720pc since the start of 2022. If Putin turns off the tap, bringing the mighty German economy to a juddering halt this winter, there is a real danger of civil unrest.

Intelligence officials are warning that extremist organisations, such as the neo-Nazis of Combat 18, are planning an “autumn of rage”. As a foretaste, in the old Prussian town of Neuruppin near Berlin, there were ugly scenes this month as Scholz was shouted down by far-Left and far-Right protesters.

But the panic and indignation now brewing go far beyond the ranks of the “unteachable” extremists.

Germans sense that unaccountable elites have ceded control of their country’s destiny to Putin. The more they are must pay him for Russian gas, the bigger his war chest with which to perpetrate genocide in Ukraine.

Forcing Germany to be complicit in a colossal crime against humanity is a diabolical twist in the vengeance that Putin is now exacting upon Europe for backing Ukraine. According to The Economist’s Christian Odendahl, at present prices Germany will need to spend 8.4 per cent of its GDP on gas. Hitherto it was just 1 per cent.

Already preparations are underway for central heating to be rationed or even switched off, forcing residents to seek shelter in schools or town halls.

The country is scrambling to reduce its reliance on gas with a campaign to make households cut back, and a massive national effort has brought gas storage levels up to 81 per cent full.

Food prices, meanwhile, rose at a rate of nearly 15 per cent in July. Those who fear being unable to afford to heat their homes or feed their families are prey to angst and anger.

Actions have consequences... or do they?

Few foresaw the Russian invasion of Ukraine, let alone its devastating consequences for Europe. But it is dawning on the German people that the seeds of the present crisis were sown over the quarter of a century from 1998 to 2022, under Angela Merkel and her predecessor, Gerhard Schröder.

These were the years of plenty for Germany, when Berlin dominated the European Union, ensuring that its export-led economy benefited from the single currency while loading the social costs on to its poorer neighbours. But Germany’s dirty secret was cheap Russian energy.

Under Schröder – who went on to become one of Putin’s “useful idiots” – German industry began to abandon its postwar reliance on coal and nuclear energy in favour of Russian gas and renewables.

In 2011, after the Fukushima accident, Mrs Merkel announced that all German nuclear power plants would be closed down. It was a pyrrhic victory for the Greens but backed by all the major parties. Public opinion had been turned against nuclear energy in the 1980s by the Soviet-funded “peace movement”. Now the Greens are the keystone of the Scholz coalition.

Even in the country’s present predicament, Robert Habeck, the Green Vice-Chancellor and Environment Minister, is refusing to reverse the exit from nuclear to alleviate the energy crisis, though it is still possible over time to reactivate a number of nuclear power stations.

Yet Berlin is demanding that 26 other EU member states make huge cuts in energy use this winter to help Germany – to the irritation of the Spanish and others, who don’t depend on Russian gas and recall lectures from Berlin during the eurozone crisis about actions having consequences.

For decades, the Kremlin acted as Germany’s geopolitical drug-dealer, tempting Berlin to become ever more addicted to the energy that fuelled its manufacturing, pharmaceutical and chemical factories. Now that the Germans are about to go cold turkey, they are discovering how cynically the national interest was betrayed by their politicians and captains of industry.

With Schröder as its salesman, a new Nord Stream 2 pipeline was built under the Baltic Sea — with the blessing of Mrs Merkel, who fended off Anglo-American pressure to cancel what was regarded as a threat to European energy security.

Last year, as Russian tanks massed on the Ukrainian border and Nato warned of imminent invasion, Gazprom redoubled its efforts to keep the flagship project on track.

The Russian energy giant poured €192 million (£163m) into an environmental foundation set up by Manuela Schwesig, the Social Democratic premier of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — the state that hosted Nord Stream 2 and stood to gain most. She proceeded to denounce the US for opposing the pipeline, claiming that American sanctions were purely self-interested.

Putin’s stooges almost succeeded in persuading Scholz to defy his Nato allies. He dithered until the eve of February’s invasion before shelving Nord Stream 2.

Now, after six months of Europe’s worst war since 1945, some German politicians are once again calling for the pipeline to be opened “so that people do not have to freeze in winter and our industry does not suffer serious damage”, as Wolfgang Kubicki, Vice-President of the German Parliament, puts it.

Meanwhile Ms Schwesig has just been re-elected as leader of the Social Democrats in her state by a large majority. Schröder has yet to be expelled from the party, let alone sanctioned.

Germany’s Achilles’ heel

This is the measure of Germany’s abject reliance, not only on Russian energy, but on the Russian state. For Putin, gas and oil were only ever a means to an end. He has always wanted to reduce the Germans — towards whom Russians have traditionally had an inferiority complex — to a status of servility.

Stalin only succeeded in dividing Germany. Putin seeks to turn the entire Federal Republic into his client state — and thereby impose his will upon Europe.

With the unerring eye of the predator, Putin grasped that energy was Germany’s Achilles’ heel. A single plant of a single corporation, the headquarters of the chemical and pharmaceutical giant BASF at Ludwigshafen, uses as much energy as Denmark.

Over the last 25 years, Germany’s craving for cheap energy led it into an unequal relationship with Russia — what the philosopher Hegel called “the dialectic of master and slave”.

Putin saw that some German politicians could be bought (Schröder), others bamboozled (Merkel), and still others bullied (Scholz). Other EU countries followed the German example by relying heavily on Moscow for energy, influenced by the evasion and ambivalence that has characterised Berlin’s policy for decades.

Germany, whose economy is substantially larger than Britain’s, has given just £1 billion in military aid to Ukraine compared to the UK’s £3.5 billion. The United States has given ten times as much as the EU. Yet Ukraine is a European country under genocidal attack.

The reluctance to provoke Putin that still prevails in wide circles of the Federal Republic is rooted in exaggerated notions of Russian military power, economic importance and cultural pre-eminence.

German fatalism about Russia’s ability to absorb casualties and yet win ultimate victory reflects folk memories of the Eastern Front. But Putin, unlike Stalin, does not have a vast conscript army at his disposal, he does not enjoy technical superiority and he cannot afford the war of attrition that he has unleashed. Nor are the Russian people united against an invading force in defence of their homeland. Only in Berlin do they think this is another Stalingrad.

This historical myopia has much to do with the long-standing German habit of subsuming the other nations that made up the Soviet Union into Russia. To this day most Germans have no awareness of the fact that the Nazis killed millions of Ukrainian civilians and devastated their country.

Ironically, many artists, writers and musicians who have fled Ukraine have found refuge in Germany. One example is the composer Valentin Silvestrov, who fled to Berlin aged 84 with one suitcase, full of his manuscripts. Once there, he discovered that Ukrainian music was unknown in Germany. Now that Silvestrov’s works are being performed, including at the Proms in London, the Germans are slowly waking up to the presence of a greater living composer than any of their own.

Many ordinary Germans, like the British, instinctively warm to the Ukrainian cause. The difference is in leadership – or lack of it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, unlike Boris Johnson or Liz Truss, has shown only lukewarm support for Kyiv and has been implicitly rebuked by President Zelensky.

Hamburger grilled

Although there is no suggestion that Scholz has been bribed to go easy on Russia, he himself has become embroiled in a corruption scandal. He is accused of helping M.M. Warburg & Co, Germany’s oldest and largest private bank, to avoid a €47 million fine in 2016, during his time as Finance Minister in the Merkel coalition.

The Hamburg-based bank is alleged to have made up to €300 million in a capital gains tax scam which came to light while Scholz was also mayor of the city state. Just as he finds himself facing an unexpectedly grim present and a positively terrifying future, his provincial past has returned to haunt him.

Last week the Chancellor was grilled by a committee of inquiry in Hamburg. The normally meticulous Scholz claimed not to remember any details about his meetings with Warburg’s former chief, Christian Olearius, who has now been charged with tax evasion. Germany’s safe pair of hands, whom millions had entrusted with the nation’s finances, is now accused of being cosy with tax-dodging bankers and being an unimpressive, even unreliable, witness.

In other ways, too, Scholz is failing to live up to the moral example set by the two great Social Democratic Chancellors of post-war Germany, Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt. At a joint press conference with Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin earlier this month, Scholz remained tight-lipped while the Palestinian leader delivered an anti-Semitic tirade, accusing Israel of committing “many Holocausts” against his people.

Schmidt, who concealed the fact he had a Jewish grandfather from the Nazis but as Chancellor was an outspoken philosemite, would not have been impressed by his fellow Hamburger Scholz. Nor would Brandt, who famously fell to his knees at the memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Not for decades has anti-Semitism been such a threat in Germany: in July, Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial was desecrated with swastikas. Now, as Putin’s myrmidons massacre and deport Ukrainians near the site of Nazi genocide, while a quarter of the Russian Jewish population has emigrated in anticipation of pogroms, Germany needs a leader who is not afraid to denounce anti-Semitism even at the cost of diplomatic niceties.

After less than a year in office, Scholz’s personal ratings are plumbing depths never seen during Mrs Merkel’s 16 years at the helm. As Germans brace themselves for unprecedented hardships in peacetime, they are led by a weak and indecisive Chancellor at the head of a fragile three-party coalition.

Post-heroic, post-patriotic

Wednesday’s visit to Kyiv by Boris Johnson – his third – to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day was hugely appreciated not only by Volodymyr Zelensky but by all Ukrainians. Yet it was a gesture of solidarity that did not occur – could not have occurred – to Olaf Scholz.

The German Chancellor’s only visit to the Ukrainian capital last June, accompanied by Emmanuel Macron and Mario Draghi, was an awkward, chilly affair that yielded little more than promises. This week, Scholz posted a short video message, concluding: “Our hearts are with you.” Ulrich Speck, a German foreign policy analyst, commented: “Hearts, yes. But not weapons.”

Johnson, by contrast, knows he is among friends in Kyiv – a friendship symbolised by Zelensky awarding him Ukraine’s highest honour, the Order of Liberty. It is impossible to imagine the lugubrious German Chancellor finding the Prime Minister’s pithy words: “While people [in the West] are paying energy bills, people in Ukraine are paying with blood.” Nor would Scholz echo him in declaring: “I believe Ukraine can and will win this war.”

For his part, Zelensky told his people that they had been “reborn” in the heat of war. “We used to say: ‘Peace’. Now we say: ‘Victory’,” he declared.

Highly educated Germans find it hard to empathise with such Churchillian sentiments. Jürgen Habermas, the eminence grise of German intellectuals, makes condescending comments about Ukraine as a primitive place, still captive to the nationalist illusions of the last century, unlike more sophisticated, “post-heroic” Germany. It doesn’t occur to the 93-year-old philosopher that without the heroism of its soldiers and civilians, Ukraine would by now have ceased to exist.

Prussian military prowess has long since given way to post-patriotic pusillanimity. Where Merkel and Scholz feared to tread and even Biden was hesitant, Johnson was the first to commit himself wholeheartedly to the cause and to visit war-torn Kyiv.

Many other nations – the Poles, the Baltic states, the Scandinavians and the Canadians among them – have been more supportive than the Germans, who owe Ukrainians the greatest moral debt.

Berlin boasts of handing out a handful of howitzers while dithering over clapped-out armoured vehicles. Meanwhile British arms and training, Turkish drones and American rocket artillery systems have proved decisive on the battlefield.

Sold down the Dnieper

Although the Scholz coalition officially sides with Ukraine, the unpalatable fact remains that Germany and its EU partners are financing Russian aggression by paying vast sums for Russian gas.

Will they stand up to Putin in Germany when the enormity of the ordeal ahead becomes clear to everybody? Will public opinion continue to back even the present feeble commitment, or will the voices calling for peace at the expense of Ukrainians prevail? It is all too believable that at some point, probably early next year when gas storage facilities are empty, Berlin – and Brussels – will open negotiations with the Kremlin, regardless of Kyiv’s wishes.

Yet it is then that the ghosts of the past may rise up to intervene in the present. The thought of Germans and Russians redrawing the map of Eastern Europe at the conference table sends shivers down the spines of every Pole, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and, of course, Ukrainian. On August 23, 1940, exactly 82 years ago this week, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, carving up Poland (which then included Lviv and other parts of present-day Ukraine) and the Baltic states between Russia and Germany. No German Chancellor wishes to be reminded of that precedent.

However, nor can Scholz risk presiding over an even deeper and more lasting recession than that caused by the Covid pandemic. Somehow he must steer a course between the Scylla of appeasing Putin and the Charybdis of economic ruin.

The tension between these positions is reflected in the tripartite coalition. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the Greens are the hawks, Finance Minister Christian Lindner and his pro-business Free Democrats are the doves, while the Social Democrats are deeply divided. The party leadership leans towards Moscow, the rank and file towards Kyiv. This explains why Scholz never says that he wants Ukraine to win the war, merely that they must not lose it.

The opposition Christian Democrats are only slightly more united. They too have a large wing that privately favours a negotiated peace, represented by their pro-business leader Friedrich Merz, and a smaller but not insignificant group led by the foreign affairs expert Norbert Röntgen, who hope for a Ukrainian victory. Merz has papered over the cracks by focusing on a campaign to reverse his predecessor Mrs Merkel’s exit from nuclear energy.

Meanwhile, the “understanding Putin” lobby has the support of both the hard Left Die Linke and anti-immigration AfD parties. German public opinion has slowly tiptoed away from its initial admiration for Ukrainian resistance and towards a compromise peace.

That subtle shift could soon become an overwhelming tide, once Germans are required to make real sacrifices. Vladimir Putin, we may be sure, is counting on it.

From October, Scholz will impose a gas levy on consumers to compensate energy companies for the cost of replacing Russian gas supplies. Germany’s biggest energy company, Uniper, was bailed out in July to the tune of £12.5 billion; it is now claiming another £18.5 billion of levies.

This policy is bound to be unpopular, since it redistributes tens of billions from the poor to the rich — curious thinking for a government of the Left. But this is nothing compared to the prospect of protests sparked by a national shutdown caused, not by a deadly virus, but by Putin’s energy politics.

A change in the air?

Modern Germany has a volatile history of popular protest. It began with the revolution that toppled the Kaiser in 1918. The Nazis mobilised the masses to carry out their “national revolution” in 1933. A workers’ uprising in East Germany was crushed by Soviet tanks in 1953. Student protests brought about a cultural revolution in 1968. Uniquely bloodless and benign was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. This was Germany’s finest hour.

The defiance that breached the Wall and sent the Soviet army home was a blessing, but the despair that Putin’s revenge may induce this winter will surely be a curse. Gas has given the Russian dictator coercive control over the German political class, which willingly acquiesced in its fate.

In Kyiv, Boris Johnson said: “I can tell you that we in the UK will not for one second give in to Putin’s blackmail.” Olaf Scholz is incapable of speaking like this — because he does not believe it. He has failed to frame the coming ordeal as a battle in which Germans must make sacrifices for their own liberty, not just Ukraine’s. People don’t mind his lack of charisma; they do mind facing a nightmarish winter with spineless hypocrisy at the helm.

Will it become so obvious by next spring that Scholz is unequal to the task that either he or his coalition are replaced? Can the centre of German politics hold — or are we about to see a terrible revolt of the masses against a discredited political establishment? It has happened before. It can happen again.

Daniel Johnson was the Telegraph’s correspondent in Germany and Eastern Europe in the late 1980s. He is now the editor of TheArticle.

German public opinion turned against nuclear energy in the 1980s due to a Soviet-funded peace movement, but recent events have led to a shift in public opinion.

Some German politicians are calling for reopening the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to alleviate the energy crisis, while others are pushing for a negotiated peace with Russia.

In fact, 67% of Germans supported a five-year extension of nuclear plants in 2022, and 41% supported constructing new nuclear plants.

Title:

Content: “There is no excuse for the rich West to be oblivious to the global debt crisis. ” – The Guardian
We start with an opinion piece by Larry Elliott, the Guardian ’ s economic editor, entitled “The wealthy West has little excuse for finally waking up to the global debt crisis. ”
“After a decade or more of their obsession with their own problems, countries in the wealthy West have begun to pay attention to the threat of a looming debt crisis in the poorer parts of the world, ” he says at a meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington this week.
The good news is that debt has risen to the highest level on the policy agenda and is seen as a problem that needs to be regulated, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said about the need for distressed countries to help: “Help them deal with the debt burden, which has made the shocks of past years more difficult; and help ensure that the IMF can continue to support them in the years to come. ”
The bad news, according to Elliott, is that Georgieva ’ s appeal has not yet been heeded, as rich countries are still primarily interested in their own problems.
The geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China is also not helping.
Creditor countries may wake up to the idea that there is a debt problem but it is far from a solution.
Talk is not like work. ”
Achim Steiner, director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said: “There are more than 50 countries on his radar that can default very quickly. ”
Steiner believes that the UN has no chance of meeting its ambitious 2030 development goals, unless there is urgent action.
The volume of lending by the private sector has made attempts to restructure or write off debt more complex than in the past.
At the time of the HIPC initiative, creditors tended to be either individual governments or multilateral organizations such as the World Bank.
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“But since the global financial crisis, many countries, especially middle-income countries, have borrowed heavily in financial markets, taking advantage of very low interest rates to finance domestic projects. ”
After the setback of the COVID-19 epidemic, low- and middle-income countries have since been hit by two other undesirable shocks: the war in Ukraine, which led to higher food and fuel prices, and the sharp increase in central bank interest rates in large Western economies.
The result is that debt servicing has become much more expensive, with many countries now frozen out of financial markets altogether.
Steiner said: "The issue is not financial but political.
The United States has mobilized $400 billion to secure Silicon Valley Bank deposits.
This is more than the developing world has received in three years.
It took the Swiss government less than 48 hours to find 100 billion Swiss francs to secure the rescue of one of its banks.
“The lesson of the recent banking crises is clear.
Rich countries can act fast enough when they want to, ” the writer concludes.
Fears of Macron ’ s politics
We turn to another Financial Times opinion piece by Alain Beatty, a trade writer, entitled “The Risks of Emmanuel Macron ’ s Strategic Insistence. ”
Macron ’ s focus on keeping a distance from both Washington and Beijing in pursuit of the EU ’ s vague “strategic autonomy ” is not an innovation among European policymakers, but geopolitical Europe enthusiasts need to recognize that the lack of unity and trust within the EU, rather than the sinister manipulation by Washington and Beijing, is the main obstacle.
“We ’ ve already seen this happen in trade policy, which is one area where the EU has long had the ability to act collectively.
In the same way that there is nothing stopping European governments from increasing military spending and playing a greater geopolitical role, the bloc can certainly increase its ability to use trade to project its strategic influence.
But while France has been keen to create new tools for intervening in trade and investment, other member states recognize that the views and interests of Paris are not necessarily those of the bloc as a whole.
“In recent years, the European Commission has carefully designed a range of trade instruments to confirm the bloc ’ s geo-economic weight.
The most politically salient is the anti-coercion tool ECI, which will allow the EU to use a wide range of trade and investment measures to retaliate against the bullying of trading partners.
France has strongly supported all this activity, and has also called for the creation of new EU central funds to pursue industrial policy.
“But the Commission will struggle to use this set of tools if there is opposition from other member states that are mindful of their export interests or distrust in using trade tools to manage a centralized strategic policy.
A few days before Macron ’ s trip, the Commission succumbed to pressure from some EU governments, including Germany, and gave member states a major role in determining the use of ECI.
Berlin instinctively avoids confrontation that could damage German exports and investments abroad.
There have also been more principled objections from liberal member states including Sweden and the Czech Republic, sceptical of attempts to politicize trade policy and the likelihood that it will be overly influenced by certain governments.
Macron inadvertently contributed to these concerns, especially as he unnerved some other EU governments two years ago with a clear orientation toward a major investment deal with China, “leaving a legacy of caution. ”
“Attempting to push a union with divergent views to adopt a single approach to a specific global issue is unlikely to produce long-term results. ”
German split on energy policy
We remain with an article by Laura Bettel, the Financial Times correspondent in Berlin, entitled “Germany is being torn apart by energy policy with the closure of nuclear plants. ”
Bethel said Germany ’ s last remaining nuclear power plants were shut down on Saturday, “marking a watershed moment in a country that has long had deep doubts about atomic energy. ”
Anti-nuclear activists hailed the shutdown of three reactors as a victory after a temporary delay following the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war that forced Berlin to look for alternatives to Russian gas.
Critics see the shutdown as an act of madness at a time when Europe ’ s energy supply remains precarious and the world is struggling to stop using fossil fuels.
After decades of anti-nuclear protests, the decisive moment came in 2011 when Chancellor Angela Merkel reversed an earlier decision to extend the life of the country ’ s nuclear plants until 2036, bringing the phase-out date to 2022.
The anti-nuclear movement in former West Germany dates back to the 1970s, when a popular campaign succeeded in stopping the construction of a nuclear power plant in the southwestern village of Weil.
The nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island in the United States in 1979 and at Chernobyl in 1986 fuelled that movement.
But German public opinion shifted after the Russo-Ukrainian War: an August 2022 poll from Der Spiegel found that 67 percent of Germans supported a five-year extension of the country ’ s nuclear plants.
41% supported the construction of new plants.
In a similar poll three decades ago, only 3% said yes.
But the German Green Party, now part of the three-way coalition government led by Olaf Schulz, only agreed to postpone the shutdown for a few months to fill any gap caused by the winter energy crisis.
“The way in which Germany has chosen to phase out nuclear power, and step back from fossil fuels as a bridging gap even as renewables increase dramatically, has been highly controversial. ”

The German public opinion on nuclear energy has shifted after the Russo-Ukrainian War, with many citizens seeing nuclear power as a necessary evil to address the energy crisis.

A survey conducted among 1,248 German voters found that 61% support extending nuclear power plants' life, and 56% support increasing load on coal-fired power plants.

Title:

Content: MOSCOW, June 24 — PRIME.
According to a survey by ARD-Deutschlandtrend, almost two-thirds of Germans are in favor of extending the life of nuclear power plants, and the majority support more large-scale use of coal power.
The poll was conducted for ARD on June 21-22 among 1,248 German voters, with a statistical error of 2 to 3%.
56% of respondents support an increase in the load on coal-fired power plants, 36% disapprove of this measure proposed by the German Energy Ministry as part of an emergency plan for gas conservation.
Of the respondents, 61% supported the initiative of a number of politicians from the former ruling faction of the CDU / CSU and the liberal democratic FDP to continue operating nuclear power plants after the end of the year, when it was planned to completely abandon nuclear energy, 32% of respondents opposed.

However, 36% disapprove of increasing coal power usage, and 32% oppose continuing nuclear power plants' operation.

Title:

Content: MOSCOW, June 24 — PRIME.
According to a survey by ARD-Deutschlandtrend, almost two-thirds of Germans are in favor of extending the life of nuclear power plants, and the majority support more large-scale use of coal power.
The poll was conducted for ARD on June 21-22 among 1,248 German voters, with a statistical error of 2 to 3%.
56% of respondents support an increase in the load on coal-fired power plants, 36% disapprove of this measure proposed by the German Energy Ministry as part of an emergency plan for gas conservation.
Of the respondents, 61% supported the initiative of a number of politicians from the former ruling faction of the CDU / CSU and the liberal democratic FDP to continue operating nuclear power plants after the end of the year, when it was planned to completely abandon nuclear energy, 32% of respondents opposed.

The German government has been criticized for misleading citizens about nuclear power plant extension risks, and nuclear plant operators have offered to organize fuel deliveries in a reasonable timeframe.

Title:

Content: You are here
Home > News > Germany lied about nuclear energy: expert

Germany lied about nuclear energy: expert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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In fact, 65% of Germans see nuclear power as part of EU climate targets measures, and the majority of Germans oppose nuclear power plant shutdown due to fuel concerns.

The German government has pushed to shut down nuclear power despite the energy crisis, but some experts argue that nuclear energy is necessary to meet the country's energy needs.

Germany abandoned nuclear power with the last units shut down, and the country now relies on coal and gas after the nuclear phase-out.

Title:

Content: The people are not particularly happy with the government ’ s choice.
recommendations
Germany has completely abandoned nuclear power, turning off the last three power units located at the Emsland nuclear power plant (Lower Saxony), Necarwesteim-2 (Baden-Württemberg), Isar-2 (Bavaria).
Now the country has only to get rid of nuclear waste.
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The decision to phase out nuclear power came from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel after the disaster of 2011, when the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan, which killed at least 15.9 thousand people.
Initially, it was planned to stop nuclear reactors on December 31, 2022, but due to rising energy prices, the German government delayed this until mid-April 2023.
The nuance is that in the near future, Germany will have to rely on coal and gas, which have a negative impact on the environment.
Of the advantages, only that you need to compensate a little - 6% of electricity generation, which was just those nuclear reactors.
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According to YouGov, two-thirds of Germans do not support the government ’ s decision to replace the cheap “peaceful atom ”.
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This material is written by a visitor to the site, and a reward is accrued for it.
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Two-thirds of Germans oppose replacing nuclear energy, and the nuclear phase-out decision was made by Angela Merkel.

The last nuclear reactors were shut down in mid-April 2023, and the initial phase-out date was December 31, 2022.

The Fukushima-1 disaster influenced Germany's nuclear decision, and nuclear reactors generated 6% of Germany's electricity.

Title:

Content: The people are not particularly happy with the government ’ s choice.
recommendations
Germany has completely abandoned nuclear power, turning off the last three power units located at the Emsland nuclear power plant (Lower Saxony), Necarwesteim-2 (Baden-Württemberg), Isar-2 (Bavaria).
Now the country has only to get rid of nuclear waste.
advertising
The decision to phase out nuclear power came from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel after the disaster of 2011, when the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan, which killed at least 15.9 thousand people.
Initially, it was planned to stop nuclear reactors on December 31, 2022, but due to rising energy prices, the German government delayed this until mid-April 2023.
The nuance is that in the near future, Germany will have to rely on coal and gas, which have a negative impact on the environment.
Of the advantages, only that you need to compensate a little - 6% of electricity generation, which was just those nuclear reactors.
recommendations
According to YouGov, two-thirds of Germans do not support the government ’ s decision to replace the cheap “peaceful atom ”.
For the post accrued remuneration
This material is written by a visitor to the site, and a reward is accrued for it.
2
Popular news

Germany struggles with nuclear waste disposal, and the public is unhappy with the government's nuclear energy choice.

Title:

Content: The people are not particularly happy with the government ’ s choice.
recommendations
Germany has completely abandoned nuclear power, turning off the last three power units located at the Emsland nuclear power plant (Lower Saxony), Necarwesteim-2 (Baden-Württemberg), Isar-2 (Bavaria).
Now the country has only to get rid of nuclear waste.
advertising
The decision to phase out nuclear power came from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel after the disaster of 2011, when the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan, which killed at least 15.9 thousand people.
Initially, it was planned to stop nuclear reactors on December 31, 2022, but due to rising energy prices, the German government delayed this until mid-April 2023.
The nuance is that in the near future, Germany will have to rely on coal and gas, which have a negative impact on the environment.
Of the advantages, only that you need to compensate a little - 6% of electricity generation, which was just those nuclear reactors.
recommendations
According to YouGov, two-thirds of Germans do not support the government ’ s decision to replace the cheap “peaceful atom ”.
For the post accrued remuneration
This material is written by a visitor to the site, and a reward is accrued for it.
2
Popular news

Germany decided to withdraw from nuclear power by April 15, 2023, and the country's first nuclear reactor started operation in 1957.

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
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DW.COM

The 1973 oil crisis boosted nuclear energy development in Germany, and the Chernobyl accident in 1986 marked a turning point in Germany's nuclear discussions.

Plans to phase out nuclear power were agreed upon in 2001, and Chancellor Angela Merkel extended nuclear plant operating times in 2010.

The Fukushima accident in 2011 led to a change in Germany's nuclear policy, and the country decided to start a nationwide search for nuclear waste storage in 2017.

Proposals to extend nuclear plant operating times were made in 2022 due to the Ukraine war, highlighting the ongoing debate about nuclear energy in Germany.

Germany closed three nuclear plants by the end of 2021, and the three remaining nuclear plants were scheduled to

Germany closed three nuclear plants by the end of 2021, and the three remaining nuclear plants were scheduled to

Germany closed three nuclear plants by the end of 2021, and the three remaining nuclear plants were scheduled to