Germany’s planned shutdown of all of its remaining nuclear power plants risks causing power shortages, one industry group in the country has warned.
The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) has warned that the country’s green agenda-loving government’s plan to close the country’s three remaining nuclear power plants in a few days risks causing energy shortages.
Current plans have the three remaining plants closing forever on April 15, despite the fact that the country is in the midst of an ongoing energy crisis that threatened rolling blackouts last winter.
According to a report by the Rheinische Post, the DIHK warned that the nuclear shutdown would have significant adverse effects on German industry, and that the government was ultimately risking energy shortages with the stunt.
“Despite the drop in gas prices, energy costs remain high for most companies in Germany,” group president Peter Adrian warned. “At the same time, we are not out of the woods when it comes to security of supply.”
Adrian went on to argue that Germany must “expand the supply of energy and not restrict it any further” with the country being heavily reliant on all of its energy sources, including nuclear.
“This is the only way we can avoid or at least mitigate supply bottlenecks and another massive increase in energy prices in the coming months,” he concluded.
Such a warning from the DIHK have also been made by others in Germany, with even one party within the country’s ruling government coalition admitting that the power plant closures are a “strategic mistake“.
Nevertheless, green-obsessed officials have insisted the closures go ahead, with Climate Action minister Robert Habeck dismissing fears over the destruction of nuclear in the country.
“The energy supply security in Germany was guaranteed in this difficult winter and will continue to be guaranteed,” he said. “We have the situation under control thanks to the high filling levels in the gas storage facilities and the new liquid gas terminals on the north German coasts and, last but not least, thanks to more renewable energies.”
Habeck’s confidence does not seem to be in tune with the facts on the ground however, with the European nation only managing to scrape by over the winter months due to it being abnormally warm in northern Europe for the time of year.
Even then, the tight energy supply had a massive knock-on effect on Germany companies and consumers, with the industrial sector in particular literally left paying the price for the government’s self-made crisis.
Overall, German manufacturers are expected to pay 40 per cent more in energy costs in 2023 compared to before the Ukraine war, a statistic that ultimately risks domestic industry in the country becoming uncompetitive, in turn resulting the gradual deindustrialisation of the state should nothing be done.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.