Tuesday, July 15, 2025
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result
Home Defence & Military News Nuclear Weapons News

Russian gas threat revives German nuclear power debate

by Agence France-Presse
June 23, 2022
in Nuclear Weapons News
2 min read
0
Defense, Energy Experts Aid China’s Nuclear Security
14
VIEWS

Germany should extend the lifetime of its nuclear plants to avoid an “extreme scenario” in which a Russian gas stop could wipe 12 percent off the economy, a government advisor said Thursday.

Prolonging the operational lifetime of Germany’s remaining reactors could “create some breathing space”, Veronika Grimm, a member of the government’s council of economic advisors, told the Funke media group.

Germany turned its back on nuclear energy following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, with its last three plants set to go offline at the end of the year.

But the debate over prolonging the life of nuclear in Germany has been reopened amid fears Russia could cut off gas supplies as retaliation against the West over its backing for Ukraine following Moscow’s invasion.

In an “extreme scenario”, the German economy could shrink by 12 percent if Russia turned the taps off, Grimm said.

More conservative estimates put the impact between “minus 0.5 percent and minus six percent” depending on decisions made about saving gas over the summer, she said.

Like many of its neighbours, Germany is highly reliant on Russian energy imports to meet its needs.

Europe’s largest economy this week decided to reactivate mothballed coal-fired power plants in response to reduced gas deliveries from Russia via the Nord Stream pipeline.

But extending the life of nuclear plants beyond the end of the year was “currently not an option”, not least for “safety reasons”, a spokesman for the economy ministry said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

Keeping the plants open “will not work”, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Muenchener Merkur paper on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the liberal FDP party denied that there was a row within the three-way coalition with Scholz’s Social Democrats and the ecology Greens.

But he added that he was “not satisfied that we are extending climate-damaging coal but not even considering the possibility of nuclear energy”.

The conservative state premier of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, has also pushed for an extension, saying this week the move was “certainly” possible.

But the boss of German energy company RWE, the operator of one of the remaining reactors in the fleet, told the Die Welt daily it was “too late”.

Security issues as well as the limited availability of fuel rods created hurdles to keep the plants going beyond the end of the year, he said.

Tags: germanyNuclear Energynuclear powerrussia
Previous Post

AI Improves Robotic Performance in DARPA’s Machine Common Sense Program

Next Post

Russia and China eye NATO’s ‘Arctic Achilles heel’

Related Posts

EU warns Belarus opening door to Russian nukes after vote

Russia’s updated nuclear ‘red line’ adds uncertainty: experts

November 20, 2024

Russia's new nuclear doctrine reflects its hopes to deter Ukraine's allies from a greater role in the war by establishing...

Russian defence ministry says held fresh nuclear drills

Russian defence ministry says held fresh nuclear drills

October 30, 2024

Russia said Tuesday its army held fresh nuclear drills under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, who recently called for...

Next Post
US Navy Kicks Off ICEX 2020

Russia and China eye NATO's 'Arctic Achilles heel'

Latest Defense News

Britain, Germany jointly developing missiles: ministers

Britain, Germany jointly developing missiles: ministers

May 17, 2025
Trump announces ‘full and immediate’ India-Pakistan ceasefire

Trump announces ‘full and immediate’ India-Pakistan ceasefire

May 10, 2025
Pakistan says Indian missiles strike air bases as conflict spirals

Pakistan says Indian missiles strike air bases as conflict spirals

May 10, 2025
J-10C fighter jet

Pakistan says India has brought neighbours ‘closer to major conflict’

May 9, 2025
North Korea fires multiple suspected cruise missiles

North Korea fires flurry of short-range ballistic missiles

May 9, 2025
China says ‘closely watching’ Ukraine situation after Russian attack

China vows to stand with Russia in face of ‘hegemonic bullying’

May 9, 2025

Defense Forum Discussions

  • The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
  • USAF News and Discussion
  • Royal Netherlands Navy
  • Indian Military Aviation; News, Updates & Discussions
  • Russia - General Discussion.
  • Russian Air Force News & Discussion
  • Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
  • US Navy News and updates
  • General Aviation Thread
  • Indonesian Aero News
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com