Britannist

The moves in Germany to close down all nuclear power stations is madness. For it will leave them totally at the mercy of gas-fired power stations using gas from Russia.

Apart from being more expensive than nuclear power stations, it does not solve what Germany would do when there is no more gas. And gas is likely to cost more as supplies get lower and/or it becomes more difficult to extract.

Using expensive electricity from gas-fired power stations is going to push up industrial costs in Germany - making them less competitive in the world economy.

Solar power does not provide electricity in darkness and wind turbines don't work at all for an average of about 70% of the time. You cannot run a major industrial nation like Germany on wind turbines.

Germany can close down its nuclear power stations now - but it will only have to build a new lot in the post-gas era. Either that or nuclear fusion plants (if there is a breakthrough in research in that field which is at least a decade off and almost certainly much longer).

PatrioticBriton

The Germans won't build any NEPs. Schroder has forbidden them to do so.

Besoeker

Politicians and policies have come and gone. The need for power hasn't.

SGK

Schroeder is no longer there. He is not only history, he has also disgraced himself. He is irrelevant. Nevertheless, the Germans do have a collective distaste for nuclear power - I can only put this down to the Greens being in government for so long.

SGK

Do you have any sources for this? It doesn't match what I hear about the Nuclear lobby being too powerful within the EU and France has always been very pro-nuclear. I can understand such as the Bulgarian reactors being old and dangerous, but the rest doesn't ring true. Also, which bit of the constitution will ban 'NEP's?
(One more thing, why do you say the EU is dominated by the Slovaks?)

Besoeker

A couple of articles from Electrical Review a while back.




I have another on EU policy but photobucket has just gone down for maintenance.

Besoeker

...remains neutral on the topic of nuclear energy...

mkpdavies

A realist couldn't remain neutral. We either want power, or we don't in the medium term.

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zbrahead

If we apply James Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis to this, the only real way forward is nuclear power, by stopping nuclear power, you contribute to global warming.

Nuclear power is the only way of getting enough electricity with out contributing to Global Warming.

They shouldn't stop Nuclear Power.

Besoeker

I'm not neutral. I was quoting for the article.
The EU has evidently not taken a stance on nuclear power.
It is for the individual nations to decide.
I was prompted to include this article by the following exchange between two respected posters:

PatrioticBriton…the EU, which is dominated by the Spaniards, the Germans and the Slovakians, will ban NEPs.

SGK
Do you have any sources for this? It doesn't match what I hear about the Nuclear lobby being too powerful……