Germany « nuclear-news

Germany struggles over question of its aging, dilapidated nuclear facilities

“There is no reason to negotiate with the nuclear power companies,” ….“A fuel tax is not needed to pay for extending the life of the plants but to keep the taxpayers from footing the bill of up to €10 billion for refurbishing old, dilapidated waste storage facilities.”….

analysts argue that the more Germany expands the renewable energy sector, whether for domestic consumption or exporting the equipment, the greater the potential for creating jobs.

Merkel Takes an ‘Energy Trip’, By JUDY DEMPSEY NYTimes.com, August 18, 2010 BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing intense pressure from nuclear power companies to extend the life of their plants, began a cross-country tour Wednesday before deciding on a long-term energy policy with far-reaching implications for Germany, which has Europe’s largest economy…… Continue reading →

August 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

German Govt offered billions to keep aging nuclear reactors going

German utilities offer billions in nuclear deal, Business Week, By VERENA SCHMITT-ROSCHMANN, 16 Aug 2010, Germany’s utilities are offering to pay the government billions to let them keep their nuclear power plants running longer instead of shutting them down as mandated under current law, energy giant RWE AG said Monday.The companies also want the government to back off a proposed tax on nuclear fuel as part of the deal………German utilities offer billions in nuclear deal – BusinessWeek

August 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactor | Leave a comment

Nuclear energy looking uneconomic in Germany

The government’s plans to impose taxes on nuclear power plant operators are part of a package–totaling around EUR82 billion between 2011 and 2014–to cut public budget deficits. The duty on nuclear fuel rods is expected to contribute EUR2.3 billion in tax income each year…..

German Utilities Warn Fuel Tax May Herald End Of Nuclear Energy – WSJ.com, By Jan Hromadko, Dow Jones Newswires; AUGUST 12, 2010, FRANKFURT -Germany’s plan to tax the fuel used to fire nuclear power plants could make reactors unprofitable and hasten the country’s exit from atomic energy generation, Continue reading →

August 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

German nuclear companies doubtful future prospects

Merkel may have to settle for nuclear reactor lifetimes shorter than the 60 or so years in other European countries after she lost control of parliament’s upper house in a defeat for her Christian Democrats in a state election in May. The Social Democrats and Green Party, which set Germany on course to phase out nuclear power in 2000, oppose an extension.

E.ON, RWE Poised to Cut Spending as Nuclear Tax Erodes Profits, Bloomberg,By Nicholas Comfort – Aug 10, 2010 E.ON AG and RWE AG, two of the worst performers in Germany’s benchmark DAX share index this year, are poised to cut dividends and investment because a proposed tax on nuclear reactors will erode the utilities’ profits. Continue reading →

August 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Hot weather furthering solar energy in Germany

better-than-expected progress in harnessing the power of the sun on these hot summer days. Much earlier than expected, solar, wind and water power are expected to cover Germany’s total energy demands.

Renewable energy technology developing faster than expected, Germany | Deutsche Welle | 05.08.2010, Ben Knight, Germany is a world leader in developing solar power technology. The Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Technology has reported a marked progress in the capacity of renewable energy in Germany. But this could mean the country is running into a supply conflict with nuclear power. Continue reading →

August 7, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, renewable | climate change, global warming, renewable energy, solar | Leave a comment

Nuclear power future in Germany very much in doubt

According to a law passed in 2002 by the then-ruling SPD and the Green coalition, all of Germany’s nuclear power plants are to go off line by 2022……

Opposition party pledges to fight nuclear power extension | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 26.07.2010 Richard Connor , German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition has been put on notice that it will face a fight over any change to the law on nuclear energy without approval from the country’s upper house of parliament. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Germany introducing nuclear fuel tax

Revenue from the tax would help Germany cut its budget deficit and finance the clean-up of its repositories for nuclear waste.

German nuclear tax to raise 2.3 bln eur-draft law BERLIN, July 15 (Reuters) – The proposed German tax on nuclear power station operators would likely raise 2.3 billion euros annually between 2011 and 2014, a finance ministry draft law obtained by Reuters said.Nuclear power station operators will face a levy of 220 euros per gramme of nuclear fuel (uranium or plutonium)…… Continue reading →

July 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

Germany: 9 billion euro revenue from tax on nuclear fuel

German MOF: Not Abolishing Plan To Impose Nuclear Fuel Rod Tax – WSJ.com BERLIN (Dow Jones), -By Andrea Thomas 5 July 2010, –-The German finance ministry Monday rejected a media report that it might scrap the proposed tax on nuclear fuel rods and raise money from an energy fund instead.”The finance ministry doesn’t disavow the nuclear fuel rods tax,” a finance ministry spokesman told Dow Jones Newswires.

………….As part of its EUR80 billion austerity package, the German government has said it plans to impose a tax on fuel rods, with proceeds seen at some EUR9.2 billion over a four-year period.Germany is in the process of gradually phasing out all of its remaining 17 nuclear reactors by around 2022….

German MOF: Not Abolishing Plan To Impose Nuclear Fuel Rod Tax – WSJ.com

July 6, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

Germany’s nuclear power industry not happy with uranium fuel tax

German Minister:Fuel-Rod Tax Tied To Nuclear Extension – WSJ.com By Jan Hromadko BERLIN (Dow Jones), 1 July 2010, –The German government’s proposed tax on nuclear energy will be linked to a planned extension of reactor operating lives, deputy economic minister Jochen Homann said Wednesday. Continue reading →

July 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Germany to introduce tax on uranium fuel rods

Merkel rebuffs industry opposition to tax on uranium fuel, Monsters and Critics, Jun 23, 2010, Berlin – Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday rebuffed opposition from German industry to a planned tax on the uranium fuel rods used in nuclear power stations, her spokesman said. Current legislation requires all the German reactors to cease operation by about 2022……….. Continue reading →

June 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, uranium | Leave a comment

In light of new tax, Europe’s nuclear industry faces uncertain future

other countries could adopt similar measures on all utilities, or on target nuclear….the new move will bring uncertainty in the European nuclear sector,

Huge nuclear tax on the cards in Germany, World Nuclear News, By Rumyana Vakarelska, 15 June 2010 The German Ministry of Finance has envisaged an additional €2.3 billion ($2.8 billion) per year ‘windfall tax’ on nuclear operators as part of the 2011 Federal Budget and its financial plan up to 2014………..According to the German Finance Ministry the charge “will be necessary, as part of an overall energy concept, to prolong the operational life of nuclear power plants.” At a time when Germany is looking for tens of billions of euros in budget savings, the ministry said that the money will be used to meet nuclear decommissioning and final repository costs…… Continue reading →

June 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Germany | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear power plants might be shut down in Germany

Poll defeat may hamper Merkel’s nuclear extension plans Deutsche Welle, 13.05.2010 Reuters Editor: Sonia Phalnikar Chancellor Merkel’s center-right government may have to rethink plans to extend the lifecycle of Germany’s nuclear plants after a defeat in a key regional election. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government of Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) may be forced to reassess plans to run Germany’s nuclear power plants well past their scheduled shutdown dates.A defeat in a regional election in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia last Sunday robbed Merkel of a majority in the upper house of Germany’s parliament. That limits the chancellor’s ability to extend the lifespan of nuclear-power plants. Poll defeat may hamper Merkel’s nuclear extension plans | Environment & Development | Deutsche Welle | 13.05.2010

May 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, reactors | Leave a comment

Germany assisting Pakistan and 40 other countries in renewable energy

Germany is currently assisting more than 40 countries worldwide in energy projects focusing on the use of renewable energies like hydropower, wind and solar.

Germany to start financing renewable energy in Pakistan, Daily Times , 8 May 2010, ISLAMABAD: Germany has started its financial cooperation and assistance to Pakistan in the power generation sector through renewable energy to meet the present energy crisis.“Pakistan and Germany have recently signed two agreements for producing solar and wind energy, and work will be started before the end of the year on these projects,” Continue reading →

May 8, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, renewable | climate change, energy efficiency, renewables, solar, wind | Leave a comment

Geramany: huge anti nuclear protests, on anniversary of Chernobyl disaster

More than 25,000 people known as “liquidators” – most of them Ukrainians, Russians and Belarussians – died after getting the accident under control and constructing a concrete shield over the wreckage, according to Ukrainian official figures.

PICTURE – more pictures of protests in Germany at: http://www.anti-atom-aktuell.de/fotos/20100424_ahaus-demo/index.html

VIDEOS (German language) at Atomkraft spaltet immer noch – WDR MEDIATHEK – WDR.de and http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/atomproteste106.html

Germans form chain in nuclear protest, The Age, April 25, 2010 AFP Tens of thousands of Germans have joined hands to form a human chain to protest against nuclear energy, two days before the 24th anniversary of the worst nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine. Continue reading →

April 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

Renewable energy investment doubling in Germany

German investment in renewable energy to double , Ebeling Heffernan Live Trading News , Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr., April 18, 2010 A new study shows that Germany’s annual investment in renewable energy will be doubled to US$37B by Y2020, and the industry will become a main creator of jobs, and an investment growth factor. Continue reading →