The German Chancellor spoke, Wednesday, the continuation of the exploitation of the last three active plants, while Germany fears an energy crisis, partly private of Russian gas.
Le Monde with AFP
The release of the nuclear energy scheduled at the end of this year in Germany could be postponed. Olaf Scholz estimated Wednesday August 3 that it could “be relevant” to extend the operating time of the last three nuclear power plants in activity in Germany, partly private of Russian gas and which fears an energy crisis.
These power plants “only serve the production of electricity and only for a small part of it”, but “it can still be relevant,” said the German Chancellor.
The scarcity of Russian gas deliveries to Germany has brought to the agenda the question of maintaining the latest central in activity longer than expected, to cope with the gas crisis. Berlin must decide in the coming weeks on a possible extension of these power plants based on a new expertise in progress.
Once the results of this “known” resistance test “we will then draw our conclusions,” said the chancellor visiting Mülheim an der Ruhr (west) on the industrial site Siemens Energy, where a turbine repaired gas and intended to equip a Russian gas pipeline to Europe is waiting to be transported to Russia.
The divided government coalition
The three nuclear power plants still in activity – in Bavaria, Basse -Saxe and in Baden -Wurtemberg – currently participate for 6 % of the net electricity production in Germany. The question of their extension divides the government coalition, the Greens being skeptical, the social democratic party of Olaf Scholz hitherto reserved, and the favorable FDP liberals. It is also claimed by the CDU-CSU conservative union in opposition.
m. Scholz has justified the current reflections on an extension of nuclear power by the fact that the development of renewable energies, supposed to replace nuclear energy and coal, is slower than expected. It is “very different from one region to another in Germany,” he said. “This is particularly true in Bavaria, which has progressed slowly with the expansion of wind energy,” he launched, in a spike at the address of this region historically led by the Conservatives and the great consumer of consumers ‘energy.
“We will support all regions of Germany as best we can” for the energy supply of “all citizens in Germany and all businesses”, assured Mr. Scholz.