According to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens), the forthcoming nuclear phase-out in Germany cannot be reversed. The last three nuclear power plants, which are to be shut down next Saturday, would “go into dismantling sooner or later,” Habeck told the Funke newspapers (Tuesday editions). A new construction of nuclear power plants has always presented itself as an economic fiasco – whether in France, Great Britain or Finland, he added.
Habeck: “Our energy system will be structured differently”
“There is also no interest on the part of German operators in building new nuclear power plants,” Habeck told the newspapers. And gives a guarantee: “Our energy system will be structured differently: we will have 80 percent renewable energies by 2030.”
The FDP recently opposed the final phase-out of nuclear power. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai told the news portal t-online that the nuclear power plant was “a strategic mistake in a still tense energy policy situation”. Habeck countered this in the Funke newspapers: “With the nuclear phase-out, we are implementing what the Union and FDP decided in 2011.”
As a result, the Green politician was confident that he would be able to guarantee the security of the energy supply after the nuclear phase-out. “The security of energy supply in Germany was guaranteed in this difficult winter and will continue to be guaranteed,” said Habeck. The situation is under control due to the high filling levels in the gas storage facilities, the new liquid gas terminals on the north German coasts and more renewable energies.
Economics Minister continues to call for energy saving
At the same time, he called on citizens to continue saving energy. “We will have a better gas supply situation next winter. Nevertheless, energy is expensive and high consumption damages the climate,” said the Green politician. “So it makes sense to use energy carefully.”
Habeck thanked the citizens for their commitment in the Funke newspapers. “I know of many people who have really practiced renunciation. This effort helped to fill up the gas storage tanks during the critical phase. We managed to fend off a severe economic crisis,” he said.
It has also been shown that some simple steps were nevertheless effective. “Saving energy does not have to mean a loss of quality of life,” said Habeck.
