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Economy minister says nuclear plants save little natural gas It may be necessary to keep the factory in Bavaria running for grid stability Scholz says the results of nuclear plant stress tests are expected within weeks
BERLIN, Aug 21 (Reuters) – German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday ruled out extending the life of the country’s three remaining nuclear power plants to save natural gas, saying it would save no more than 2 percent of natural gas use. Those savings were not enough to make it worth re-opening the debate on exiting nuclear power, given the consensus on the issue, he said during a discussion with citizens at the government’s open day. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel launched legislation to end the use of nuclear power by the end of this year after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster with a majority of voters in favour. But attitudes are changing amid fears of an energy crisis this winter after Russian gas deliveries fell – with the tripartite coalition itself divided on the issue. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “It’s the wrong decision, given the minimum we would save,” said Habeck, a member of the Green party, which has its roots in the anti-nuclear movement of the 1970s and 80s. On the other side of the debate, Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Lib Dems reiterated his position that it would be better to extend the life of nuclear plants for a limited period than to bring coal plants back online. “We should not be too selective, but reserve all possibilities,” he said, adding that he would be open to an extension of “several years” under the current circumstances. Separately to the debate on gas-saving measures, Habeck said he was open to extending the life of a nuclear power plant in Bavaria if a stress test showed that this was necessary to ensure the stability and supply of the electricity grid in winter, he said. Habeck blamed the southern state and manufacturing hub, which depends on gas-fired power plants and has few coal-fired plants, for possibly contributing to the problems by failing to build wind power generation and improve the grid. The fact that Germany is forced to supply France with electricity due to declining nuclear generation is another factor at play. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the result of the stress test should come towards the end of the month or early next month – and only then will a decision be made. The situation in France, where nearly half of its reactors are out of service due to corrosion and maintenance problems, showed just how problematic the technology was, he said. The new installations were so expensive that they drove up electricity prices as opposed to renewables, he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Markus Wacket and Andreas Rinke. Sarah Marsh writes. edited by David Evans Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
