The use of nuclear power to generate electricity will come to a temporary end in Germany on April 15, 2023. Due to the ongoing security problems and the eternal costs of this technique, this should only be a small victory for strict opponents.
Even if the era of nuclear power plants ends in Germany, this country is surrounded by countries that continue to rely on nuclear power. So if you want to feel safe from a meltdown like in Chernobyl or a nuclear catastrophe like that in Fukushima, you have to continue to fight internationally for the end of nuclear power (so far known) and pay very close attention to the dilapidated nuclear power plants in the neighborhood, such as the French one . Nuclear power will continue to circulate in the European power grid anyway.
In addition, the topic is far from being fully discussed, but not at the point most people assume. It is true that people like to philosophize about what could be done with nuclear power plants that continue to run, i.e. with a renewed start. However, one important problem is often forgotten: the safe storage of the nuclear waste generated.
One thing is certain: the next nuclear power debate
For nuclear power opponents or proponents, April 15, 2023 is likely to bring only a small breather in the ongoing debates. The nuclear power issue has long been a hot topic in federal election campaigns. And even in the current traffic light coalition there was and is a dispute about the continued operation of the nuclear power plants that are just barely functioning. Greens and FDP are diametrically opposed to each other on this issue. Chancellor Scholz of the SPD only got involved by allowing the power plants to continue operating until April 15, after a media-fuelled scramble.
Above all, we can be sure of one thing: Even if no German nuclear power plant feeds in more energy, there will definitely still be politicians who will continue to develop possible nuclear power scenarios – if only to further question energy policies that are oriented differently to be able to
Nuclear power slows down renewables
But nuclear power does not fit well into our current energy mix. For some time now, the remaining nuclear power has ensured that wind turbines have been forced to stand still. It is not particularly agile to use, in contrast to gas power plants that can be started up and shut down comparatively quickly. The new energy system should be much more volatile, that was decided. If Germany really wanted to get nuclear power, new plans would have to be made as soon as possible. However, there are no signs of these alternative and resilient plans – neither economically nor in terms of climate policy. Coal-fired power plants have to temporarily work more again, which can also cause pain with regard to the climate.
With the exception of the question of final storage, the phase-out of nuclear power generation has actually been settled in terms of realpolitik. The operators of the nuclear power plants planned the decommissioning for a long time, received high compensation payments for it, staff were laid off, and maintenance work required for further cycles was omitted. No further fuel rods were ordered either – and we would always have to buy them in dependence on Russia or its allies. Anyone who is still calling for re-entry is calling a horse that has been ridden to death for a long time. Going back to work would be very difficult, very expensive; and who can still insure this undertaking?
After some steps there is no going back
In recent years, the phase-out of nuclear power has been preceded by a swerve in energy policy. The impetus for the decisions often came from outside rather than from within. This was recently shown by the black and yellow government under Angela Merkel, which in 2011 carried out a nuclear power please-no-thank you maneuver in connection with the incidents in Fukushima.
An example of such a back-and-forth drama in German energy policy is the way renewable energies have been dealt with over the past 20 years: red-green pushed renewable energies and black-yellow and black-red governments let it go after that the pioneers of solar and wind energy fall again. At the moment we are jointly paying the price for the consequences of the conflicting energy policy ideas. For nuclear power, however, there will be no more steps backwards with the old power plants.
To me or to you?
The question remains: what to do with the nuclear waste? This ugly stain on what is otherwise touted as clean technology will remain with us for thousands of years. So far, German politicians have not been able to clarify where the radiant waste can now be safely stored. Some still hope for the future “incubation” or long-term defusing of the waste by nuclear power plants or research reactors of a newer type. But when is that to be expected? Is that really to be expected?
A repository is to be built by 2050, but by then Germany has long wanted to be climate-neutral. We threaten to tear the climate targets and In terms of final storage by 2050, Federal Environment Minister Lemke has already expressed doubts.
The rubbish is now stored in interim storage facilities and is hardly ever in the news. Like other problems, this one will be thrown at the feet of younger and future generations.
Dare less risk
A country that shirks questions of responsibility and follow-up care in this way, that reflexively changes decisions and beliefs with the mood and prefers to suppress difficult decisions rather than explain them, seems too immature to continue to consider the use of a technology that has such far-reaching consequences for people and nature can have.
Anyone who still wants to operate nuclear power, but cannot even manage to build a repository that is as safe as possible, should rather make do with significantly less risky technologies. Then, even if you change direction again, not so much can be broken.
Kristina Beer writes for heise online and likes to deal with the question of how technical progress affects society, the economy and politics. From time to time she also moderates the heiseshow.
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