Page 12 - EurOil Week 34 2022

EurOil POLICY EurOil

Germany rules out stalling

nuclear phase-out

GERMANY GERMANY has ruled out fully delaying its plans industry. It has few coal stations and limited
to phase out its last remaining nuclear power wind power production.
Germany has ruled plants (NPPs) at the end of this year, despite Former Chancellor Angela Merkel commit-
out plans to delay soaring energy costs and the risk of energy short- ted to phasing out nuclear power in the wake of
the closure of its last ages this year due to cuts in Russian gas supply. the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
remaining nuclear Economy Minister Robert Habeck said But there have been growing calls by some
power plants. on August 21 that keeping the country’s three lawmakers for the phase-out to be postponed,
remaining atomic energy stations online for following deep cuts in Russian gas supply. The
longer would have little impact on easing Ger- Nord Stream pipeline that runs directly to Ger-
many’s energy crisis, estimating it would save many from Russia is now working at only 20%
only 2% of gas use. of its 55bn cubic metre per year flow capacity,
It is the “wrong decision given how little and there are fears that Moscow could shut down
we would save,” said Habeck, a member of the gas supply completely to force concessions from
Greens, one of the three parties that form Ger- Berlin regarding the war in Ukraine.
many’s coalition government and that has long Habeck also sought to quell concerns of a
opposed nuclear energy over its environmental winter shortage in gas supply, reiterating that
impact. households and businesses should aim to cut
The combined capacity of three plants is their usage by 15-20% to conserve gas for win-
around 4 GW, equal to about 5% of Germany’s ter. If they do so, “then we have a really good
installed power capacity. However, it also rep- chance of getting through the winter,” the min-
resents reliable baseload power supply, whereas ister said.
a significant share of the country’s capacity is If Russia were to cut off gas supply completely,
renewables-based, and therefore intermittent. he said that Norway and the Netherlands could
A similar amount of nuclear capacity was shut be relied on to supply extra gas, and added that
down at the end of last year, and the government the first of Germany’s planned LNG terminals
has similarly ruled out restarting those plants. would be ready to operate by the end of the year.
While dismissing a full delay, Habeck did Habeck also dismissed calls for the Nord
say he was open to the lifespan extension at one Stream 2 pipeline to be activated. The certi-
of the nuclear plants in Bavaria, depending on fication process necessary for the pipeline to
the results of a stress test of the country’s power commercially flow gas was halted days before
system that is due to be completed in the com- Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.
ing weeks. Bavaria is a centre of gas-fired power Launching the pipeline would mean giving into
supply, used to support its large manufacturing Putin’s pressure, he said. ™

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 34 26•August•2022