Germany is switching off, but …
The EU Commission wants to classify and promote investments in gas and nuclear power plants under certain conditions as climate-friendly, speaks of green energy.
This emerges from the draft of a legal act by the Brussels authority, which became public on New Year’s Day.
► Specifically, the proposal provides that planned investments in new nuclear power plants, especially in France, can be classified as “green” if the systems meet the latest technology standards.
► In addition, a specific plan for a disposal facility for radioactive waste is to be presented.
► It is also a condition that the new facilities receive a building permit by 2045.
Gas-fired power plants should also go green
Investments in new gas-fired power plants should also be able to be classified as “green” temporarily, especially at Germany’s request. For example, it should be relevant how many greenhouse gases are emitted.
► There would be strict requirements for systems that are approved after 2030.
However, whether gas and nuclear power should be considered climate-friendly is controversial among EU countries:
Germany, for example, is against the uptake of nuclear power, but sees electricity generation from gas as a necessary transition technology. For countries like France, on the other hand, nuclear power is a key technology for a carbon-free economy.
The ministers Habeck and Lemke disagree
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (Greens) commented that the addition “from our point of view was not needed”.
And further: Labeling the “high-risk technology” nuclear energy as sustainable is wrong. This obscures the long-term effects on people and the environment. Nuclear waste will pollute the EU for centuries.
Habeck described the inclusion of gas as “questionable” (unlike the coalition partner SPD). After all, the commission makes it clear that fossil fuel gas is only a transition and must be replaced by green hydrogen.
New gas-fired power plants would have to be geared towards hydrogen by now. From 2035 onwards, they will run on green hydrogen or low-carbon gas.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (53, Greens) believes the EU intention is “absolutely wrong”.
“A form of energy that can lead to devastating environmental catastrophes – in the event of serious reactor accidents – and, on the other hand, leaves behind large amounts of dangerous, highly radioactive waste, cannot be sustainable,” said Lemke to the Funke media group.
EU defends proposal
The EU Commission defended its proposal. This means that the member states could move from very different starting positions in the direction of the common goal of climate neutrality, it said.
Solutions that seem less “green” at first glance could also be useful. Investments in natural gas and nuclear energy could therefore help to accelerate the switch to energy sources with lower emissions.
The EU member states now have until January 12 to comment on the draft. Its implementation can only be prevented if at least 20 EU countries come together, representing at least 65 percent of the total population of the EU, or at least 353 members of the EU Parliament.
However, this is considered unlikely, since, besides Germany, only countries such as Austria, Luxembourg, Denmark and Portugal are clearly against taking up nuclear power.
Habeck only announced: “We do not see any approval of the new proposals of the EU Commission.” However, there was no talk of active engagement against the Commission proposal.
The debate about nuclear power as a “green technology” has existed for a long time. Proponents refer to the extremely low greenhouse emissions. Nuclear energy also has a small ecological footprint, requires little land and uses few raw materials. The United Nations’ sustainability goals would soon require affordable energy for ten billion people. This would require a mix of ALL low-CO2 energy sources in order to achieve the climate targets.
Opponents refer mainly to safety aspects and the topic of final disposal.
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