Germany to Completely Shut Down Nuke Plants by 2018

German government and energy industry officially signed on an agreement to gradually shut down Germany’s nuke plants on 11th.

This agreement also made it clear not to export atomic wastes that bring out controversy on leakage of radioactivity and environmental disruption from July of 2005.

The main substance of the agreement is to limit the life span of nuke plants with 32 years and shut down them as they reaches their life span. This agreement is expected to be sent to the federal parliament and settled by the middle of next year.

Wurgen Tritin Environment Secretary who belongs to the Green Party stressed by saying, ``this signing on the agreement has a special meaning of creating alternative plans, such as substitute energy sources, rather than ceasing of a particular technology.``

Germany’s plan to close nuke plants is a contrasting one comparing with that of U.S. in which 13 new nuke plants will be constructed by 2010. Germany decided to close them because of the aftereffects of the radioactivity leakage accident at Chernobile in former U.S.S.R. and strong opposition from environment protection organizations. And experts advice to develop substitute energy due to the limited uranium reserves played an important roll in deciding the plan.

Christian Grifle, a director at the federal government’s Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety Department in City of Bonn, said, ``the energy shortage due to the closing of nuke plants can be replaced by developing of substitute energy and importing of electricity from neighboring countries.

Since Germany has been confident on developing of substitute energy and they have been optimistic to maintain the amount of electricity consumption as current level by 2015, German government could decide to shut down nuke plants. Although there could be wind-power, tidal-power, terrestrial-heat, and the solar-heat electricity generation methods, Germany is especially interested in the wind-power generation.

The amount of wind-power electricity generation by the end of last year was 6113 kw, 40 percent of the world total (14,000 kw). The portion of the wind-power electricity generation, is presently 1.5 percent, but they plan to increase it to 8 percent in 2010.

Heinz Otto, a representative at the Hamburg branch of the Wind Energy Association, said, ``according to a related law, the government is providing a certain amount of subsidy for owners of wind-power electricity generators.``

In case of the solar-heat energy, according to the `One Million Roofs Program`, if a person produces electricity from the solar-heat energy, the government is paying 0.99 Mark (550 Won) per kWh to buy the energy. There are even sightseeing boats operated by the solar-heat power at the Alster Lake in Hamburg.

German government plans to increase the portion of substitute energy to 50 percent out of the whole demand by 2050.

German government and energy industry officially signed on an agreement to gradually shut down Germany’s nuke plants on 11th.

This agreement also made it clear not to export atomic wastes that bring out controversy on leakage of radioactivity and environmental disruption from July of 2005.

The main substance of the agreement is to limit the life span of nuke plants with 32 years and shut down them as they reaches their life span. This agreement is expected to be sent to the federal parliament and settled by the middle of next year.

Wurgen Tritin Environment Secretary who belongs to the Green Party stressed by saying, ``this signing on the agreement has a special meaning of creating alternative plans, such as substitute energy sources, rather than ceasing of a particular technology.``

Germany’s plan to close nuke plants is a contrasting one comparing with that of U.S. in which 13 new nuke plants will be constructed by 2010. Germany decided to close them because of the aftereffects of the radioactivity leakage accident at Chernobile in former U.S.S.R. and strong opposition from environment protection organizations. And experts advice to develop substitute energy due to the limited uranium reserves played an important roll in deciding the plan.

Christian Grifle, a director at the federal government’s Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety Department in City of Bonn, said, ``the energy shortage due to the closing of nuke plants can be replaced by developing of substitute energy and importing of electricity from neighboring countries.

Since Germany has been confident on developing of substitute energy and they have been optimistic to maintain the amount of electricity consumption as current level by 2015, German government could decide to shut down nuke plants. Although there could be wind-power, tidal-power, terrestrial-heat, and the solar-heat electricity generation methods, Germany is especially interested in the wind-power generation.

The amount of wind-power electricity generation by the end of last year was 6113 kw, 40 percent of the world total (14,000 kw). The portion of the wind-power electricity generation, is presently 1.5 percent, but they plan to increase it to 8 percent in 2010.

Heinz Otto, a representative at the Hamburg branch of the Wind Energy Association, said, ``according to a related law, the government is providing a certain amount of subsidy for owners of wind-power electricity generators.``

In case of the solar-heat energy, according to the `One Million Roofs Program`, if a person produces electricity from the solar-heat energy, the government is paying 0.99 Mark (550 Won) per kWh to buy the energy. There are even sightseeing boats operated by the solar-heat power at the Alster Lake in Hamburg.

German government plans to increase the portion of substitute energy to 50 percent out of the whole demand by 2050.

Lee Jong-Hoon taylor55@donga.com