Federal government emphasizes secure energy supply after nuclear phase-out
Bavarian nuclear power plant Isar 2
© AFP
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (both Green) have emphasized the security of the energy supply even after the nuclear phase-out. “The security of energy supply in Germany is and will remain guaranteed; it is still very high in international comparison,” explained Habeck on Thursday. “With the shutdown of the last three nuclear power plants, we are entering a new era of energy production,” emphasized Lemke.
“Together we managed to keep the levels in the gas storage tanks high and to build new liquid gas terminals on the north German coasts,” Habeck said. “In 2030 we want to generate 80 percent of the electricity here in Germany from renewable energies.”
Lemke also referred to the increased nuclear safety as a result of the exit. “The nuclear phase-out makes our country safer, the risks of nuclear power are ultimately unmanageable,” warned the Green politician. Decades full of challenges now lie ahead of Germany “until we have safely and responsibly disposed of the nuclear legacy”.
The last three German nuclear power plants Isar 2, Neckarwestheim and Emsland will go offline on Saturday. They recently contributed only a small part to the generation of electricity. The operators have already prepared for the decommissioning. Actually, the nuclear phase-out should have taken place at the turn of the year; However, because of the energy crisis, the federal government decided to postpone the shutdown by three and a half months.
