Speaking during a debate with citizens at the government’s open day in Berlin, Hambeck said extending the life of the plants – which are due to close at the end of the year – would save only about 2% of natural gas use. It is the “wrong decision, given how little we would save,” added Habeck, who is also vice chancellor.
A nuclear power plant could remain open
But the minister said he was open to extending the life of a nuclear plant in Bavaria, subject to the results of a stress test of the country’s electricity system. The results of the test, to calculate how the country would cope if Russia cut off gas supplies this winter, will be released in a few weeks. Bavaria is a major production hub that depends on gas-fired power plants and has few coal-fired plants and low wind power generation. Germany has been phasing out nuclear power since legislation was passed by former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. But calls to keep some nuclear plants in use have grown since energy prices soared in the past year and tensions with one of Germany’s main suppliers, Russia, have intensified. The government has given no signal that it will review the Merkel-era policy. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck
No need to panic about winter gas supplies
Hambeck also told the public not to panic about the prospect of gas shortages in the colder months, noting if households and industry cut their use by 15-20% “then we have a very good chance of getting through the winter.” Even if Russia cut off supplies completely, there would not be a situation where zero gas would reach Germany, the minister said. Norway and the Netherlands are providing additional natural gas supplies and new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals should be operational at the turn of the year. In the long term, Habeck said Germany should expand its investment in renewable energy sources and phase out fossil fuels, which he said were the cause of much political conflict and abuse of power.
Opening Nord Stream 2 will appease Putin
Habeck also responded to calls to go ahead with the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, which was completed last year. Operating approvals for the project were suspended in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine. He said opening the pipeline would be a concession to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as it would mean Putin is right. “But it’s not,” Habeck pointed out. Hambeck’s comments follow a proposal by a politician from the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) on Friday to make Nord Stream 2 fully operational, to help ease the energy crisis. The minister decried the way Russia was cutting supplies through the other Baltic Sea pipeline, Nord Stream 1, even though it is “fully operational”. He said there was every possibility of doing the same with Nord Stream 2. mm/jcg (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
