Kahterina Reiche, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Fraction of CDU/CSU

Turning back from the Dead End

Why today Nuclear Energy is more future-compliant than ever

While the world faces a renaissance of nuclear energy, Germany is stuck in a deadlock. This results from the special course chosen by the Red-Green coalition government in 2001 and aiming at a fade-out of the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Our Energy comes … from abroad

The expectations of the opponents of nuclear energy – namely that other countries would follow the German example – did not make it to reality. Instead, the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommends building up to 32 new nuclear power plants annually and, at the same time, investing massively in renewable energies. The construction of new nuclear power plants has been discussed vividly in many countries, often followed by realization of these plans. Consequently, even critics have to admit that, whether or not Germany is going to stick to its phase-out-plans, the consumer will continue using nuclear energy from neighbouring states due to the further liberalization of the European Energy Market.

The technical question of the final disposal of nuclear waste has been solved, too. Permissions have been granted for low- and medium-level radioactive elements in order to be stored at the “Schacht Konrad” whereas, according to latest research, the “Salzstock Gorleben” is capable of storing high-level waste. A fact that seems to be overseen easily if one takes into account the most recent discussion about “Asse” and the simply inappropriate attempts to compare it to the above mentioned storage grounds. Interestingly, this view is shared by the Federal Minister for the Environment, Sigmar Gabriel.

30 percent through Renewable Energies means 70 percent through Coal, Nuclear Power and Gas

The promise to massively replace conventionally generated energy through renewables is an illusion. No question, renewable energy is successful, innovative and exports well. We support the goal to increase its market share to approximately 30 percent by the year 2020. But at the same time, this means that 70 percent of Germany’s energy will still be produced from coal, nuclear energy and gas. If the planed shutting-down of nuclear power plants during the next election term will become reality, then we would loose the amount of energy necessary in order to support 39 percent of German households, an equivalent to 15.5 million. Allow me to put it clearly: It doesn’t make any sense to shut down German plants only to then import expensive energy from foreign stations that are less safe than ours.

Therefore, it is time to end the German special course which leads right into an energy-political dead end. Only 20 years ago, the motto was “Nuclear Energy – no thanks!”, but today it should be transferred into “Turning back from the dead end – yes please!”.

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