Germany‘in energy crisis While the discussions intensified, the Federal Minister of Economy and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, who insisted that the last three nuclear power plants operating throughout the country be closed at the end of this year, had to change his stance due to the increasing pressure and criticism.
Habeck announced that production at the Isar 2 in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim nuclear power plants in Baden-Württemberg will continue until April next year, while the Emsland nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony will be shut down at the end of the year as previously agreed.
Stating that most of the nuclear power plants in the neighboring country France do not produce due to maintenance and therefore the foreseen amount of electricity cannot be sent to Germany, Habeck said that production will continue at the Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim nuclear power plants in order to avoid energy shortages, but the government will make a concrete decision in this regard.
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Klaus Müller, Chairman of the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), the agency that regulates the energy market in Germany, announced that if Russia cuts off its gas supply completely, the gas storage facilities in the country can meet the demand for a maximum of 2.5 months.
‘THE THREE CONTINUE PRODUCTION’
Minister Habeck’s insistence on the closure of the nuclear power plant in Emsland, fearing that the Greens would lose votes in the state elections to be held in Lower Saxony on October 9, caused trouble among the coalition partners.
FDP Secretary General Bijan-Djir Sarai said, ‘The final word has not been said on this issue. We want to continue production at all three nuclear power plants, including Emsland, until 2024,” he said.
The CDU’s Saxon State Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer accused Minister Habeck of ‘not having sufficient and necessary knowledge in the field of energy’.
Kretschmer claimed that after the change of power in Berlin, there were difficulties in making political decisions as experts left the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection.
Merkel decided to abandon atomic energy completely after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, and 3 of the 6 power plants in the country were shut down.
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