5 ms·

Sorry I am out of the loop on this but why is Germany shutting down nuclear plants when they have gas shortages from Russia and no domestic production. Shouldn’

Sorry I am out of the loop on this but why is Germany shutting down nuclear plants when they have gas shortages from Russia and no domestic production. Shouldn’t they first secure the gas supply before deciding to shut down nuclear plants ?

pydry 5y ago
It was planned a long time ago. Broadly speaking it was to avoid the kind of shock $1 trillion nuclear cleanup bill Japan was suddenly hit with.
- febed 5y ago
  Wikipedia says it’s 1 trillion yen not $.
  - natmaka 5y ago
    $470 to $660 billion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_disaster_cleanup#Costs_of_the_cleanup_operations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_disaster_cleanup#Cos...
    - cosmodisk 5y ago
      That's a staggering sum,even for Japan. I wonder if anyone has a source that explains in more detail where exactly the money gets spent.
  - pydry 5y ago
    https://redgreenandblue.org/2019/04/18/final-cost-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-approach-1-trillion/ https://redgreenandblue.org/2019/04/18/final-cost-fukushima-...
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
Most of those plants were built in the 70s and 80s and would need to be re-qualified soon probably with lots of pricey upgrades and/or rebuilds. Besides the fear over nuclear waste (not well founded IMHO), there are huge capital costs to also consider that are much more concrete concerns that make even the non environmentalists blink. So in this decision, it’s easy to get the left and right together.
- rad_gruchalski 5y ago
  This shut down is all a knee jerk reaction to Fukushima.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    Japan had to make the same choice, the USA is making the same choices right now. Those nuclear plants were built all at once and their certs are almost up. Either we will see a new nuclear building boom to replace/upgrade those aging plants, or we are going to see a serious reduction in nuclear generation. So far, the only countries going with new nuclear plants and upgrades to old ones are France/Russia and China/India (but just new plants only).
    - rad_gruchalski 5y ago
      You are downvoting me for your own emotional reasons. https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/history-behind-germanys-nuclear-phase-out https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/history-behind-ge... “ After the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party won the elections in 1998, the government of Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) reached what became known as the “nuclear consensus” with the big utilities (in 2000). They agreed to limit the lifespan of nuclear power stations to 32 years.” “ In the wake of the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, on 11 March 2011, the same Merkel government decided on 14/15 March to suspend the 2010 lifetime-extension for a three-month period, and then to mothball Germany's seven oldest reactors for the same period (known as the nuclear moratorium). The accident in Fukushima and the reaction by Germany's federal government … In June 2011, the government proposed to shut down eight nuclear plants for good and limit the operation of the remaining nine to 2022.” In this discussion it’s irrelevant that majority voted for it. 2022 phase out is a knee jerk reaction to Fukushima. It’s very easy to verify this by just searching for “Fukushima Germany”. Fukushima had nothing to do with the age of reactors, nor the design. It was down to the placement of the power plant. None of that could have ever happen in Germany. It should have been 2030.
      - detaro 5y ago

pydry 5y ago

It was planned a long time ago. Broadly speaking it was to avoid the kind of shock $1 trillion nuclear cleanup bill Japan was suddenly hit with.

febed 5y ago
Wikipedia says it’s 1 trillion yen not $.
- natmaka 5y ago
  $470 to $660 billion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_disaster_cleanup#Costs_of_the_cleanup_operations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_disaster_cleanup#Cos...
  - cosmodisk 5y ago
    That's a staggering sum,even for Japan. I wonder if anyone has a source that explains in more detail where exactly the money gets spent.
- pydry 5y ago
  https://redgreenandblue.org/2019/04/18/final-cost-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-approach-1-trillion/ https://redgreenandblue.org/2019/04/18/final-cost-fukushima-...

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

Most of those plants were built in the 70s and 80s and would need to be re-qualified soon probably with lots of pricey upgrades and/or rebuilds. Besides the fear over nuclear waste (not well founded IMHO), there are huge capital costs to also consider that are much more concrete concerns that make even the non environmentalists blink. So in this decision, it’s easy to get the left and right together.

rad_gruchalski 5y ago
This shut down is all a knee jerk reaction to Fukushima.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  Japan had to make the same choice, the USA is making the same choices right now. Those nuclear plants were built all at once and their certs are almost up. Either we will see a new nuclear building boom to replace/upgrade those aging plants, or we are going to see a serious reduction in nuclear generation. So far, the only countries going with new nuclear plants and upgrades to old ones are France/Russia and China/India (but just new plants only).
  - rad_gruchalski 5y ago
    You are downvoting me for your own emotional reasons. https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/history-behind-germanys-nuclear-phase-out https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/history-behind-ge... “ After the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party won the elections in 1998, the government of Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) reached what became known as the “nuclear consensus” with the big utilities (in 2000). They agreed to limit the lifespan of nuclear power stations to 32 years.” “ In the wake of the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, on 11 March 2011, the same Merkel government decided on 14/15 March to suspend the 2010 lifetime-extension for a three-month period, and then to mothball Germany's seven oldest reactors for the same period (known as the nuclear moratorium). The accident in Fukushima and the reaction by Germany's federal government … In June 2011, the government proposed to shut down eight nuclear plants for good and limit the operation of the remaining nine to 2022.” In this discussion it’s irrelevant that majority voted for it. 2022 phase out is a knee jerk reaction to Fukushima. It’s very easy to verify this by just searching for “Fukushima Germany”. Fukushima had nothing to do with the age of reactors, nor the design. It was down to the placement of the power plant. None of that could have ever happen in Germany. It should have been 2030.
    - detaro 5y ago