The triumph of the anti-nuclear movement in Germany

2023-04-22 08:11:36, Kosova & Bota CNA

The almost 63-year history of nuclear power in Germany ended last Saturday. On 15.04.2023, the last three nuclear power plants were taken off the grid and closed: at 22:37 the Emsland power plant in Lower Saxony, in the east of Germany; at 23:52 the Isar 2 plant in Bavaria, in the south and finally, at 23:59 the Neckarwestheim plant in Baden-Vyrttemberg, in the southwest.

This is how the four-month extension for these power plants, established years after the outbreak of the war against Ukraine, to fill any energy gaps in the winter, came to an end. The last three nuclear plants provided about 6% of Germany's energy needs.

Critics of the abandonment said that we are dealing with an ideological act, related to the fear of a nuclear accident and nuclear waste. But in the case of Germany, whose nuclear plants met the world's highest safety standards, according to them, this is misinformation.

However, with the exception of sporadic statements in the media by some politician and expert, that it is out of place to close the nuclear power plants at this very time when every energy source is welcome, the protests were almost absent. On the other hand, opponents of atomic energy in Germany cheered the victory of abandoning nuclear energy.

The triumph of the anti-nuclear movement in Germany

Isar 2 nuclear power plant

Attitudes towards atomic energy changed several times over the decades

The abandonment of nuclear power in Germany came at a time when public opinion in Germany supports its use. In August 2022, after Russia's attack on Ukraine, 67% of Germans said that nuclear power plants should be kept for another five years. 41 percent even called for the construction of new power plants in the Spiegel magazine poll.

But the debate for and against nuclear energy has divided German society for half a century. Not only the opinion, but also the leading politicians, especially the CDU/CSU and the FDP, have repeatedly contradicted their own previous positions on this topic.

Chancellor Angela Merkel recently decided to close the last nuclear power plants in 2022. In 2010-2011, Merkel made two opposite turns in this direction. Especially after a campaign by German industrial and energy concerns, it reversed the 2002 decision of Gerhard Schröder's Social Democratic government to abandon nuclear power. It was decided to keep the nuclear plants in operation until 2036. But just a few months later, the shock caused by the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, brought the other twist. It was decided that nuclear power plants will be closed no later than 2022.

Demonstration of the anti-nuclear movement, 26.03.2011

The reason for Merkel's decision was not only the safety of the plants. It was the general spirit in Germany at the time directed against atomic energy. As an illustration: 30 years ago nuclear energy in Germany was supported by only 3% of the population. In 2010 the situation was similar.

Triumph of the anti-nuclear movement in Germany

The abandonment of nuclear power in Germany is undoubtedly a triumph of the anti-nuclear movement. The most vocal militants of this movement today are elderly. But some of them carry the mentality of the political establishment, of which they have become a part.

Some experts see the source of the success of this movement against the powerful industrial lobby in Germany not least in Germany's decentralized, consensual political system.

Another factor that helped this movement is the change of generations. In the protests against nuclear energy, started in the 1970s, the green politicians and many social democratic politicians were formed, who came to the head of Germany in the 2000s. In the anti-atomic protests of the 1980s, the Alliance 90/Greens party, today in power in Germany. Although opinion now favors nuclear power, Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck recalled that "the era of nuclear power is over". The government no longer opposed it, even to avoid a serious government crisis.

Demonstration of the anti-nuclear movement, 22.06.1986

Germany - singled out from the EU trend in support of nuclear energy?

Despite the impression created by the latest media news, in the EU one cannot speak of a tendency in support of nuclear energy. Since of the 27 EU countries, 13 produce nuclear energy, 14 do not.

In the camp against nuclear energy is Germany with many supporters, especially with Austria and Spain; in the pro-nuclear camp is mainly France and Eastern European countries.

Nuclear energy has the greatest support in China, India and developing countries. In Europe, the trend is moving towards the abandonment of nuclear energy, think well-known experts. This is despite the inauguration of new nuclear power plants, such as the one in Finland this month. Few nuclear power plants have been built in the last three decades to ensure the future of nuclear energy. Also, the cost of solar energy has dropped by 90%, while the cost of wind energy by 70%. Nuclear plants cannot compete with this.

Flamanville nuclear power plant in France

Decision for rapid development of renewable energies

The transition from fossil fuels in Germany will be gradual. As a transitory energy source, Germany sticks to gas. After the interruption of the supply of Russian gas to Germany, Germany has built 2 LNG terminals. The plan is to build 12 such terminals, to supply gas to other states previously dependent on Russian gas, such as Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The year 2030 is defined in the plans of the German government as an important year for the energy turnaround. Until this year, Germany has decided to break away from coal as an energy source. This is the government's decision. Last year (2022), 32.3% of electricity was provided by coal-fired power plants.

But more, 44% of energy, was provided by renewable sources. By 2030, the share of renewable energies is set to increase to 80%. For this, by 2029, 6 (5.8) wind turbines should be installed per day. An ambitious goal, but one that the government is determined to achieve.

Meanwhile, technicians in Germany have a lot of work ahead of them to dismantle the closed nuclear power plants as well. In addition to the 3 power plants that were closed recently, there are also 30 such that must be finally dismantled. This is expected to last up to 15 years./ DW