Germany - Nuclear Free By 2022.

[Terse]

BBC News Link

 

Environment Minister Norbert Rottgen made the announcement following late-night talks.

 

Mr Rottgen said the seven oldest reactors - which were taken offline for a safety review immediately after the Japanese crisis - would never be used again. An eighth plant - the Kruemmel facility in northern Germany, which was already offline and has been plagued by technical problems, would also be shut down for good.

 

Six others would go offline by 2021 at the latest and the three newest by 2022, he said.

[Albert Tatlock]

I don't understand this decision by Germany, given that they don't have much in terms of local natural fuel resources.

 

The decision seems to be based on what has been happening in Japan, where they built nuclear reactors not only in an earthquake zone, but unprotected from the path of tsunamis.

 

Germany might regret this decision in a few years time, and I expect to see it reversed. Unless...they are planning a third major outing [/collar pull]

[manshimajin]

I don't understand this decision by Germany, given that they don't have much in terms of local natural fuel resources.

Albert the ruling coalition did very badly in the recent state elections in Baden-Württemberg and the Rhineland-Palatinate in which the Greens made big gains with the backdrop of the Fukushima problems. I heard someone from Germany on the radio saying this morning that their German Government had yet to work out its energy replacement strategy or its cost. All that good East German brown coal could be an option.... or the cold-fusion the Chinese are working hard to achieve.

 

A quote from the Gurniad in March following the polls:

 

The Green vote was helped by the argument in Germany over its 17 nuclear power plants, heightened by the Fukushima disaster. In the aftermath, Merkel performed an 180-degree policy change by announcing the closure of seven stations built before 1980. She also said she was committed to speeding up total withdrawal from nuclear power.

 

This was six months after she had ignored public opinion by extending the life of the 17 plants by an average 12 years; in this, one of her most vociferous supporters was Baden-Württemberg's minister president, Stefan Mappus; he paid the price for his loyalty.

[Nitro]

Germany leading the way again.....

[La_Dolce_Vita]

Or falling behind.

[Evil Goblin]

Albert

Germany's third major outing is well underway at present - this time they have figured out that they have a greater chance of winning by economics rather than tanks, etc. The mainland of Europe is already well within the Greater German Empire (also known as the European Union). The current job is to sequster Greece's assets - Ireland/Portugal next for the bankruptcy sale?

As for nuclear, maybe Germany intends to take it's energy needs from French Nuclear Generation, thereby outsourcing the potential pollution and problems.

[gazza]

you have to admit the greens have shot themselfs in the foot.

 

because if they get into power, the nucks will be gone, they wont allow oal or anything high in co2 to be used,

so look like germany will be in the dark agers again,

because lets face it, wind soler water power is not going to replace the nukes YET

[ballaughbiker]

I'll watch with interest although the final switch off is still 10 years away. Whilst I fully agree that renewables should be expolited to the full and we should stop wasting so much power, I doubt this will work. Of course if it doesn't there's always France to fall back on, with it's reliable, controllable and low CO2 nukiller stuff. Of course that's not the same as the german nukiller stuff is it?

 

To parallel the Japanese nuclear fiasco with the rest of the worlds reactors is ludicrous. Who ever would build 4 reactors on a known fault line and then store spent rods in non earthquake-proof part of the building?

[SJR]

I'll watch with interest although the final switch off is still 10 years away. Whilst I fully agree that renewables should be expolited to the full and we should stop wasting so much power, I doubt this will work. Of course if it doesn't there's always France to fall back on, with it's reliable, controllable and low CO2 nukiller stuff. Of course that's not the same as the german nukiller stuff is it?

 

To parallel the Japanese nuclear fiasco with the rest of the worlds reactors is ludicrous. Who ever would build 4 reactors on a known fault line and then store spent rods in non earthquake-proof part of the building?

Switching off the lights at Kirk Michael School before Midnight might be a start.....

[Lonan3]

 

To parallel the Japanese nuclear fiasco with the rest of the worlds reactors is ludicrous. Who ever would build 4 reactors on a known fault line and then store spent rods in non earthquake-proof part of the building?

 

No one; California only has 3.

[ballaughbiker]

Fair point Lonan