The big nuclear debate divides Germany!
It was one of the most momentous decisions during the term of office of Chancellor Angela Merkel (67, CDU): the decision to phase out nuclear power by the end of 2022. The decision was taken in 2011, hastily under the shock of the disaster in Fukushima (Japan) and with a view to the snapshot of the polls.
But today nuclear power is becoming more popular again!
Was the exit an expensive mistake?
This controversial issue was discussed at BILD Live Tübingen’s Lord Mayor Boris Palmer (49, Greens) and the long-time President of the Ifo Institute, Hans-Werner Sinn (73).
▶ ︎ Hans-Werner Sinn, who once described nuclear power as “mankind’s only hope”, is convinced: “Yes, that was a mistake and, above all, a short-circuit act because it was about the elections in Baden at the time -Wuerttemberg to win – which then did not succeed. “
And further: “That was a mistake. We are the wrong-way drivers on the autobahn. “
His reasoning: In many other countries alone up to 50 new nuclear power plants are currently being built, 100 more are in the planning stage and even more are in the preliminary planning phase. Sinn is convinced: “There is no other way to achieve this energy turnaround with nuclear power. It alone has enough power to operate all the e-cars and the heat pumps – and above all to make it controllable. “
The economist criticizes: “It is of no use if at some point electricity comes in when nobody needs it, as is the case with wind and solar panels. You have to be able to deliver the electricity in a targeted manner when the need is there. ”He is convinced that this controllability, on the other hand, is given with fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Palmer: Nuclear power is headed in the wrong direction
Green politician Palmer contradicts: “95 percent do not drive with nuclear power on the autobahn, but 95 percent of the energy worldwide comes from elsewhere”, he rejects the autobahn comparison. And further: “I think that nuclear power is heading in the wrong direction. Economically, it is completely insane to imagine that we can solve the world’s energy problem with nuclear power. “
“I think we should get the numbers clear first,” explains Palmer. Many of the nuclear power plants have been under construction for a very long time and may never be finished, he points out to Sinn’s statistics.
“There are over 400 nuclear power plants worldwide, most of them are 30 or 40 years old and still have a remaining term.” The new construction program is therefore at best suitable to keep the number of nuclear power plants in the world constant, “because the old ones have to be replaced” Palmer shoots against Sinn. And: It takes ten years to build a new nuclear power plant.
Palmer says that atomic energy “is a very expensive energy and from a global perspective it is more of a niche product that only covers five percent of the world’s energy needs”. In France, for example, you can see the cost of your new nuclear power plant multiplying from three to twelve billion euros, and in Great Britain to 22 billion euros.
“You cannot produce under 10 cents per kilowatt hour under modern standards and today we are already at five, so much cheaper. And that is why the future will be renewable and not nuclear, ”predicts the Green politician.
This is how the energy mix in Germany is composed:
► 51,9 Percent: renewable energies
► 20,8 Percent: coal
► 12,8 Percent: natural gas
► 12,1 Percent: nuclear energy
► 2,7 Percent: other
BUT, says Hans-Werner Sinn: industrial electricity is not yet taken into account here; in other words, the electricity that companies are increasingly producing themselves – from fossil sources. With it, the proportion of “green” energy in this list by the Federal Statistical Office would be significantly lower, he says.
Top economist: In many weather conditions, wind and solar systems do not deliver
Sinn taunts that there is a big catch with renewables: “It’s no use if we build so many wind and solar systems.”
For example in winter – then it’s dark doldrums. “Around Christmas time, then there is little wind and then you have to bridge for a long time. For this bridging we definitely need controllable conventional power plants. “
An example: “What use is it to us if the kilowatt hour is available at night at a low price of two or three cents? It has to be available when you need it. I consider this to be a nirvana approach, a utopia that Germans are following pretty much alone in the world at the moment. “
Palmer admits: “It is correct: We have times when renewable energies cannot deliver.” But he is optimistic about who can solve the problem: “The German engineers. They can do more than they are currently expected to be able to do. ”We should“ not paint too much ”.
Sense: Greens promise “sham packaging”
However, the top economist sees THAT very differently. If Germany renounces nuclear power, it will have to buy foreign nuclear power. “That is the sham that some Greens have in mind.” That would clearly make us dependent on our neighbors.
Sinn’s conclusion: “You can’t turn the wheels of an industrial society with wind and solar power.” A wrong impression is given. “Now the electricity is to be expanded even though the nuclear power plants shut down.”
“At least we should let the existing nuclear power plants run for now, because the electricity is the cheapest. All the cost has already been. Here you can only calculate the costs of ongoing operations, and they are very low, ”says Sinn.
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