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Nuclear power in Germany

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The Grafenrheinfeld Nuclear Power Plant in Germany.

Nuclear power in Germany accounted for 17.7% of national electricity supply in 2011, compared to 22.4% in 2010 [1]. German nuclear power began with research reactors in the 1950s and 1960s with the first commercial plant coming online in 1969. It has been high on the political agenda in recent decades, with continuing debates about when the technology should be phased out. The topic received renewed attention at the start of 2007 due to the political impact of the Russia-Belarus energy dispute and in 2011 after the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.[2]

On 30 May 2011, Germany formally announced plans to abandon nuclear energy completely within 11 years. The plan included the immediate permanent closure of six nuclear power plants that had been temporarily shut down for testing in March 2011, and two more that have been offline a few years with technical problems. The remaining nine plants will be shut down between now and 2022. The announcement was first made by Norbert Röttgen, head of the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, after late-night talks.[2][3]

Chancellor Angela Merkel said the phase-out of plants, previously scheduled to go offline as late as 2036, would give Germany a competitive advantage in the renewable energy era, stating, "As the first big industrialized nation, we can achieve such a transformation toward efficient and renewable energies, with all the opportunities that brings for exports, developing new technologies and jobs". Merkel also pointed to Japan's "helplessness" – despite being an industrialized, technologically advanced nation – in the face of its nuclear disaster.[4]

History

Germany, like most countries in the world, generates the majority of its electricity from traditional fossil fuel sources. Nuclear power was developing as a major source of generation until political pressure stopped its growth in the mid-1980s. Since then no new generating stations have been constructed.
Eight of the seventeen operating reactors in Germany were permanently shut down following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

West Germany

As in many industrialised countries, nuclear power in Germany was first developed in the late 1950s. Only a few experimental reactors went online before 1960, and an experimental nuclear power station in Kahl am Main opened in 1960. All of the German nuclear power plants that opened between 1960 and 1970 had a power output of less than 1,000 MW and have now all closed down. The first commercial nuclear power plant started operating in 1969. Obrigheim, the first grid station, operated until 2005. (Neckarwestheim.)

A closed nuclear fuel cycle was planned, starting with mining operations in the Saarland and the Schwarzwald; uranium ore concentration, fuel rod filling production in Hanau; and reprocessing of the spent fuel in the never-built nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Wackersdorf. The radioactive waste was intended to be stored in a deep geological repository, as part of the Gorleben long-term storage project.

East Germany

The Rheinsberg Nuclear Power Plant was the first (mostly experimental) nuclear power plant in East Germany. It was of low power and operated from 1966 until 1990. The second to be commissioned, the Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant, was planned to house eight of the Russian 440 MW VVER-440 reactors. The first four went online between 1973 and 1979. The other four were cancelled during different stages of their build-up. In 1990, during the German reunification, all nuclear power plants were closed due to the differences in safety standards. The Stendal Nuclear Power Plant, which was under construction at the time, was cancelled.

2011 Shutdowns

At the time of the Japanese Fukushima disaster, Germany was getting just under a quarter of its electricity from nuclear power.[4] After the Fukushima disaster, the following eight German nuclear power reactors were declared permanently shutdown on 6 August 2011: Biblis A and B, Brunsbuettel, Isar 1, Kruemmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Philippsburg 1 and Unterweser.[5]

Accidents

Main article: Nuclear accidents by country
See also: Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
Nuclear power accidents in Germany[6][7]
Date Location Description Cost (in 2006 US$)
17 December 1987 Biblis, Hesse Stop valve fails at Biblis Nuclear Power Plant and contaminates local area 13,000,000
4 May 1986 Hamm-Uentrop, North Rhine-Westphalia Operator actions to dislodge damaged fuel rod at Experimental High Temperature Gas Reactor release excessive radiation to 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) surrounding the facility 267,000,000
13 January 1977 Gundremmingen, Bavaria An electrical short circuit causes operational errors and too high pressure in the reactor. So radioactive water could leave the reactor and released into the environment. Plant was totally damaged.
7 December 1975 Greifswald, East Germany Electrical error causes fire in the main trough that destroys control lines and five main coolant pumps, almost inducing meltdown 443,000,000

Operators

Politics

See also: Anti-nuclear movement in Germany

During the chancellorship of Gerhard Schröder, the social democratic-green government had decreed Germany's final retreat from using nuclear power by 2022, but the phase-out plan was initially delayed in late 2010, when during chancellorship of center-right Angela Merkel the coalition conservative-liberal government decreed a 12-year delay of the schedule.[8] This delay provoked protests, including a human chain of 50,000 from Stuttgart to the nearby nuclear plant in Neckarwestheim.[9] Anti-nuclear demonstrations on 12 March attracted 100,000 across Germany.[10]

On 14 March 2011, in response to the renewed concern about the use of nuclear energy the Fukushima incident raised in the German public and in light of upcoming elections in three German states, Merkel declared a 3-month moratorium on the reactor lifespan extension passed in 2010.[11] On 15 March, the German government announced that it would temporarily shut down 8 of its 17 reactors, i.e. all reactors that went online before 1981.[12] Former proponents of nuclear energy such as Angela Merkel, Guido Westerwelle, Stefan Mappus have changed their positions,[13] yet 71% of the population believe that to be a tactical manoeuvre related to upcoming state elections.[14] In the largest anti-nuclear demonstration ever held in Germany, some 250,000 people protested on 26 March under the slogan "heed Fukushima – shut off all nuclear plants".[15]

Decision to abandon nuclear power

On 30 May 2011, the German government announced a plan to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022.[16] Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen stated of the decision, "It's definite. The latest end for the last three nuclear power plants is 2022. There will be no clause for revision".[2] Prior to the decision, Germany's renewable energy sector already provided 17% of Germany's electricity and employed about 370,000.[4] The decision to phase-out nuclear power has been called the swiftest change of political course since unification.[17] Only a year earlier Angela Merkel's government overturned a decade-old decision to close all nuclear plants by 2022.[17]

Physicist Amory Lovins has said: "Chancellor Merkel was so shocked by Fukushima that she turned Germany’s energy focus from nuclear (of which she closed 41% and will close the rest within a decade) to efficiency and renewables. That’s supported by three-fourths of Germans and opposed by no political party".[18]

Merkel stated that Germany "[does not] only want to renounce nuclear energy by 2022, we also want to reduce our CO2 emissions by 40 percent and double our share of renewable energies, from about 17 percent today to then 35 percent". The chancellor, who holds a PhD in physics, noted the "helplessness" of Japan to manage the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Merkel asserted that Germany's energy policy would be safe, reliable, and independent from imports, with affordable prices for both consumers and industry. Increased investment in natural gas plants would provide a backup to ensure consistency for those times when the solar, wind and hydroelectric sources did not meet demand.[4]

Some German manufacturers and energy companies have criticized the phase-out plans, warning that Germany could face blackouts.[19] However, this did not happen.[20] Germany remained a net exporter of about 5 terawatt hours (TW·h) of power in 2011 after exporting 17.7 TW·h last year, according to data published by the energy utility association "AG Energiebilanzen" in February 2012.[21]

Renewable energy to replace nuclear

Main article: Renewable energy in Germany

Since nuclear power generates almost a third of the electricity in Germany, many thought that the country would have to import energy as the nuclear phase-out progressed. At first, Germany was still selling more electricity than it bought, due to its renewable energy industry.[22] Renewable energy supplied a record 20.8% of Germany’s electricity in the first half of 2011, from wind power, solar power, biomass and hydro. Germany installed over 7,400 MW of solar in 2010 and another 7,000 MW will be added in 2011. Solar and wind capacity is expected to grow by 32% from 2012–2013. The surge in renewable energy is credited with driving down the price of electricity in Germany.[22]

This, however already changed in the autumn, with Germany beginning to import energy from its neighbors. In certain cases, the country was actually buying electricity, generated in nuclear powerplants close to the German border.[23]

Germany has combined the phase-out with an initiative for renewable energy and wants to increase the efficiency of fossil power plants in an effort to reduce the reliance on coal. According to the former German Minister for the Environment Jürgen Trittin, in 2020, this would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent compared with 1990 levels. Germany has become one of the leaders in the efforts to fulfill the Kyoto protocol. Critics of the German policy have called it a mistake to abandon nuclear power, claiming the only alternative to nuclear power was coal and abandoning nuclear power was therefore contradictory to the goal of lowering CO2 emissions.[24]

As a result of its efforts and subsidies, Germany has developed advanced non-conventional renewable energy for electricity generation, particularly in photovoltaic and wind turbine installations. At the same time, Germany continues to rely heavily on coal power, with usage increasing to offset the phase-out of nuclear energy.[25]

The German nuclear industry has insisted that its shutdown would cause major damage to the country's industrial base. In 2012, member firms of the Verband der Industriellen Energie- und Kraftwirtschaft (VIK) reported power failures of several seconds duration, combined with a rise in frequency fluctuations. These were reportedly caused by network overloads due to the shutdown of nuclear power plants, and an increase in wind power generation.[26] VIK also fear that industrial control units will be damaged by outages.

The cost of replacing Germany's nuclear power generation with renewable energy has been officially estimated by the German Ministry of Economics at about €0.01/kW·h (about €55 billion for the next decade), on top of the €13 billion per year already devoted to subsidizing renewables. However, unofficial estimates of the ministry, and of the Rhenish-Westphalian Institute for Economic Research (RWI), German Energy Agency (DENA), Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV), and the government-owned development bank (KfW), put the cost several times higher, at about €250 billion ($340 B) over the next decade.[27][28]

See also

References

  1. ^ {http://www.bdew.de/internet.nsf/id/DE_20111216-PI-Die-Verantwortung-waechst?open&ccm=900010020010}
  2. ^ a b c "Germany: Nuclear power plants to close by 2022". BBC. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  3. ^ Breidthardt, Annika (30 May 2011). "German government wants nuclear exit by 2022 at latest". Reuters.
  4. ^ a b c d Baetz, Juergen (30 May 2011). "Germany Decides to Abandon Nuclear Power by 2022". Associated Press. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  5. ^ IAEA (2011 Highlights). "Power Reactor Information System". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Sovacool, Benjamin K. (2010). "A Critical Evaluation of Nuclear Power and Renewable Electricity in Asia". Journal of Contemporary Asia. 40 (3): 393–400. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Benjamin K. Sovacool (2009). The Accidental Century – Prominent Energy Accidents in the Last 100 Years
  8. ^ "Germany Reconsiders Reactor Lifespan Extensions". Der Spiegel. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Nuclear safety worries spread to Europe". Guardian UK. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Nuclear power? No thanks (again)". The Economist. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  11. ^ "AKW Neckarwestheim muss vom Netz". Der Spiegel (in German). 14 March 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  12. ^ "Germany to shut down seven reactors temporarily". Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  13. ^ "Nuclear backlash forces Merkel to rethink energy policy". Germany: Deutsche Welle. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Umfrage: Wähler strafen Union für Atomkurs ab". Der Spiegel (in German). 23 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  15. ^ "Rekord-Demos in Deutschland. Atomstreit trifft Koalition mit voller Wucht". Der Spiegel (in German). 26 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  16. ^ "German govt wants nuclear exit by 2022 at latest". Reuters. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  17. ^ a b "German Energy: Nuclear? Nein, danke". The Economist. 399 (8736). The Economist Newspaper Limited: 38–40. 4 – 10 June 2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Amory Lovins (2011). "Soft Energy Paths for the 21st Century".
  19. ^ "Nuclear Phaseout Is an 'Historic Moment'". Der Spiegel. 30 May 2011.
  20. ^ Alexander Ochs (16 March 2012). "The End of the Atomic Dream: One Year After Fukushima, the Shortfalls of Nuclear Energy Are Clearer Than Ever". Worldwatch.
  21. ^ http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/sechs-monate-akw-ausstieg-wie-deutschland-ohne-atomkraft-funktioniert-1.1275253
  22. ^ a b "Germany's Shift to Renewables is Paying Off". SustainableBusiness.com. 30 September 2011.
  23. ^ "German 'Energy Revolution' Depends on Nuclear Imports". Spiegel.de. 15 September 2011.
  24. ^ "Germany split over green energy". BBC News. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  25. ^ Nelles, Roland (21 March 2007). "Germany Plans Boom in Coal Power Plants". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  26. ^ http://www.aggbusiness.com/articles/business-news/companies-de-energised-by-blackouts-3456/
  27. ^ Neubacher, Alexander (27 July 2011). "The Latte Fallacy: German Switch to Renewables Likely to Be Expensive". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 22 September 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  28. ^ Nicola, Stefan (19 September 2011). "KfW to Provide 100 Billion Euros to Aid German Energy Transition". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 22 September 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

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