Scholz: Extending life of German nuclear plants
might ‘make sense’
Chancellor says nuclear power plants could stay
running in the face of Russia gas standoff.
BY
WILHELMINE PREUSSEN
AUGUST 3,
2022 8:16 PM
https://www.politico.eu/article/olaf-scholz-extending-life-of-german-nuclear-plants-makes-sense/
German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said extending the life of the country's nuclear power
plants might “make sense,” as reduced gas flows from Russia raise the specter
of a winter fuel crisis.
During a
visit to engineering company Siemens Energy in Mülheim an der Ruhr, where a
turbine at the heart of the Russia gas dispute is currently being stored,
Scholz was asked what he would say to European partners calling on Germany to
keep its nuclear plants running.
The Social
Democrat answered that the three plants only account for a “small proportion”
of Germany’s total electricity supply, “but still it might make sense” to let
them run for longer. The plants are scheduled to shut down at the end of this
year.
He
suggested that some states, namely Bavaria, might need to let their nuclear
plants continue operating because they are lagging behind when it comes to
developing renewables.
Scholz said
that authorities would “draw our conclusions” from a stress test of the German
electricity system that is currently being conducted. Results of the test are
expected within weeks.
The threat
of a Russian gas shutoff has led to a renewed debate about delaying the
phase-out of nuclear power. While the smallest of the three governing parties,
the liberal Free Democrats, wants the plants to run for longer, the Greens have
always strongly opposed such a move. However, recently Green leaders have
signaled that they may be open to keeping the plants open.
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