By IRNA
Berlin : Britain’s plans to build a new generation of nuclear power plants won’t lead the German government to reconsider in its commitment to a nuclear phase-out, a German government official said here Friday.
Speaking at press briefing, the spokesman for the Environment Ministry Michael Schroeren said, “There is no reason at all to change our policy on nuclear energy following the decision of the British government.”
“Unlike the British government, we have not overslept the switch to renewable energies,” he added.
Meanwhile, German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm reaffirmed that there will be no new nuclear reactors in Germany and there will be no change in the country’s nuclear policy until the next general elections in fall 2009.
According to the 2005 grand coalition agreement, both co-ruling parties the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its junior coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have agreed to the nuclear phase-out.
While the CDU supports nuclear energy, the SPD backs a gradual phase-out of Germany’s 17 atomic power reactors by 2021.
Although most opinion polls continue to indicate that most Germans remain opposed to nuclear energy, the momentum is slowly shifting in favor of the pro-atomic power camp, especially after the political crises over Russian gas supplies over the past two winters.
Prospects of an oil and gas shortage have sparked again the nuclear debate among Germans.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on her coalition partner – the SPD – to open the way for a longer use of the nation’s nuclear power plants.
The chancellor made clear earlier that Germany could meet its climate protection goals, provided the country continues to use nuclear energy.
Although phasing out nuclear energy is still on the agenda, Germany’s nuclear reactors are still working at full power, having raised their electricity output in 2006.
German atomic power plants generated 167.4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity last year, compared to around 163 billion kilowatt hours in 2005.
Germany’s powerful nuclear lobby which enjoys close ties with Merkel’s pro-business party, is hoping to slow down plans for phasing out atomic power.
The nuclear industry has organized various countrywide conferences in recent months on the benefits of atomic energy, while pointing to the fact that all over Europe new nuclear reactors are being built.
It has also argued that Germany’s nuclear reactors are among the safest in the world and do not pose any dangers.
Industry lobbyists are also advocating nuclear energy as a serious alternative to oil and coal since atomic reactors produce almost no greenhouse gas emissions and oil prices are hovering at high levels.