«Germany says goodbye to nuclear energy»
Germany Shuts Down Its Last Three Nuclear Power Plants
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is bidding farewell to nuclear energy as its three remaining nuclear power plants shut down, putting an end to nuclear power generation in the country. Last year, the three plants provided six percent of the country’s energy needs.
The shutdown of nuclear reactors is seen as a victory by nuclear opponents, but some businesses describe it as «crazy» at a time of unstable energy supplies in Europe and attempts to move away from fossil fuels.
Originally, the plan was to shut down the three reactors last year, but it was delayed due to the energy crisis that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite warnings from the German business community about energy supply bottlenecks resulting from the closures, the government claims energy supply security will be guaranteed.
Germany plans to replace the nuclear gap with renewable energy, as more than half of the country’s natural gas tanks are full and the winter season is almost over. But the dismantling of nearly 30 deactivated nuclear power plants is a daunting task for the government, taking around 15 years each. Furthermore, a definitive solution for the storage of radioactive waste that can remain deadly for many years is yet to be found.
Germany has a long history of anti-nuclear protests, and the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 further accelerated the country’s move away from nuclear energy. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to abandon nuclear energy due to the risks that could not be safely controlled.
In contrast to Germany, England, Finland, and France are planning to double their use of nuclear energy.
