Nuclear power in Germany

Conservatives in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition want to freeze its current phase out of nuclear power plants, which was decided in 2000 by a government of Greens and Social Democrats. But Ms. Merkel’s coalition partners, the left-leaning Social Democrats, are insisting she upholds a pact to shut down the country’s last nuclear power plants by 2021.

Germany gets around 22% of its electricity supply from nuclear energy, compared with around half from coal, and the rest mostly from natural gas and renewable sources such as wind.

The country is investing heavily in wind and solar power and is drawing up laws that require higher energy efficiency in buildings and transport. But many experts doubt wind and solar power can both compensate for lost nuclear energy and meet Germany’s ambitious carbon-cutting goals at the same time.

Replacing nuclear power would probably entail more use of coal and gas. Natural gas is getting costlier along with oil, and greater use will make Germany even more reliant on supplies from Russia. Coal-fired power stations emit the most greenhouse gas – especially the ones using lignite or brown coal, which Germany has in abundance, unlike oil, natural gas or sunshine.

Social Democrats say they might agree to prolong the life of the most modern nuclear reactors by a few years, if conservatives agree to a constitutional amendment banning the construction of any new reactors.

Source: WSJ, 10/07/08