The leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), Saskia Esken, said on Monday that the decision to phase out nuclear power was the right one and will not be reviewed
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th September, 2022) The leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), Saskia Esken, said on Monday that the decision to phase out nuclear power was the right one and will not be reviewed.
"We are not ready to extend the overall life or put into operation old reactors that are already disconnected from the grid ... Giving up nuclear energy ... was the right thing to do," Esken said at the SPD's press conference, when asked about a possible return to nuclear energy due to the crisis.
Germany first announced its atomic phaseout plans in 2011 following the Fukushima disaster. Berlin decided to unplug all nuclear power plants by the end of 2022 and to phase out coal by 2038.
Germany currently has three functioning nuclear power plants (NPP) that are scheduled to be disconnected from the grid on December 31. The debate about the possibility of extending their use has intensified this year as energy prices skyrocketed across Europe and fears of shortage emerged after the decrease in supply from Russia. The authorities are exploring the possibility of using these NPPs beyond their decommissioning deadline.
Following the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February, Berlin declared intention to reduce its reliance on Russian energy in the near future. Germany hopes to stop coal and oil imports from Russia by the end of the year and end its dependence on Russian gas by the middle of 2024.
