nuclear-news

Hanover International Trade Fair heralds the post nuclear economy

“This is a market that keeps expanding,”…“Growth is in renewables.”

German Firms Move Toward Postnuclear Economy  NYTimes.com By JUDY DEMPSEYApril 14, 2011 HANOVER, Germany — Josef Mehrer, a family-owned German company established more than 120 years ago, has survived by adapting with the times….In the early 1990s, the company placed a bet on the renewable energy sector and started to make compressors for the emerging biogas industry. Jörg-Peter Mehrer, the fifth generation to run the business, says he believes he made the right move — especially after Chancellor Angela Merkelannounced last month a safety review of Germany’s nuclear industry in light of the disaster in Japan.

“This is a market that keeps expanding,” Mr. Mehrer said. “The government’s decision is very positive.”…..

Mr. Mehrer, 40, says he is not sure what policies the Greens will pursue now in Stuttgart, the state capital. But for him, one thing is certain: “Growth is in renewables.”

The view was echoed around the vast Hanover International Trade Fair, where the latest in industrial technology was displayed.

Sebastian Sax, a project manager at Schneider Electric, the global electrical systems company, said Mrs. Merkel’s decision was good for his business, too. “We focus so much on energy efficiency,” he said. “It’s something we have been doing for many years.”

ABB, a Swedish engineering company with a large presence in Germany, was also enthusiastic.

“Closing nuclear power plants is good news for ABB,” said Ake Andersson, technical manager of one of the company’s motors divisions. “This is about developing ways to use energy more efficiently.”…..

Siemens, which is seeking a cooperation agreement with Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear power plant manufacturer, was in Hanover showing off its electric cars and all things green. Its staff even wore green ties…

German Firms Move Toward Postnuclear Economy – NYTimes.com

April 15, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, EUROPE