EnBW Opens Latest Chapter in Germany's Nuclear Energy

UNCLAS FRANKFURT 000258 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG SENV PGOV GM SUBJECT: EnBW Opens Latest Chapter in Germany's Nuclear Energy Phase-Out REF: A) 2005 Frankfurt 4506, B) 2005 Berlin 2395 ¶1. SUMMARY: With its request to lengthen the life of thirty-year-old nuclear power plant Neckarwestheim I (scheduled for decommissioning in 2008),EnBW -- southwest Germany's largest energy supplier -- is posing an indirect challenge to the "Nuclear Phase-Out" plan legislated by Germany's then SPD/Social-Democratic-Greens government in 2002 and endorsed by the current ruling coalition. Conservative state politicians expressed support for EnBW's request to "borrow" time from the newer Neckarwestheim II reactor -- as they did for RWE's request to lengthen the lifespan of Hesse's controversial Biblis A reactor -- but recognize that only the SPD-controlled federal Environment Ministry can approve the extensions. Both requests are stirring the debate over nuclear phase-out in a time of high energy prices, questionable energy security, and climate change concerns -- all of which may be softening German public opinion. END SUMMARY. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Background On Nuclear Phase-Out - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. In June 2000, the SPD-Greens federal government and representatives of Germany's leading power suppliers agreed to decommission the country's 19 nuclear power plants over two decades (following an average of 32 years of operation, measured in terms of total electricity output). The phase-out agreement, codified into law two years later, forbids the construction of new plants and mandates on-site storage of nuclear waste pending establishment of a permanent storage facility. In return, the "Red-Green" government committed to support reactor operations -- essentially buying peace against massive demonstrations which hampered spent fuel shipments in the 1980s and 1990s. ¶3. Germany relies on nuclear power for about thirty percent of its electricity needs (putting it just over the EU average). The state of Baden-Wuerttemberg is much more dependent on nuclear power (over half of total consumption),as home to both older plants (such as Obrigheim, closed in May 2005) and some of Germany's newest reactors including Neckarwestheim II (which would be the last plant decommissioned under the current agreement, in about 2021). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ENBW / Neckarwestheim: Buying Time Until The Next Government? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. In December, regional energy supplier EnBW applied to transfer electricity output from Neckarwestheim II (built in 1988) to Neckarwestheim I (built in 1976 and one of Germany's oldest operating reactors) -- allowing EnBW to keep Neckarwestheim I (currently scheduled for decommissioning in 2008) running until ¶2017. EnBW argues that keeping both plants in operation offers positive synergy effects, but the request, which would create a precedent, is forcing larger issues: the 2000 phaseout agreement allows for shifting energy quantities, but transfers were supposed to benefit newer plants and promote the earlier decommissioning of older reactors. SPD, Greens, and environmental representatives argue that the EnBW request is solely intended to buy time for older reactors in the hope that the next federal government will reverse the nuclear phase-out. Conservatives, including Baden-Wuerttemberg Minister-President Guenther Oettinger (CDU),support EnBW and say that decommissioning operating reactors would damage the German economy, raise prices, and exacerbate climate change. CDU and FDP representatives say that if reactors were unsafe, they wouldn't be operating today. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Biblis: Defending An Unpopular Reactor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. Even more controversial is the request by RWE (Germany's largest energy supplier) to delay the decommissioning of Biblis A from 2007 to 2011 by transferring energy quantities from an already decommissioned nuclear power plant (Muehlheim-Kaerlich). Built in 1974, Biblis A is one of the oldest nuclear power plants in Germany (Biblis B, built in 1976, is scheduled to cease operations in 2009). Biblis A, which produces one-third of the electricity needs of the state of Hesse, has gained notoriety over the years because of numerous safety incidents and expert opinions that it could not reliably withstand a terrorist attack using a commercial aircraft. RWE counters that upgrades totaling over EUR 500 million have made Biblis comparable to newer nuclear power plants and that shutting it down would undermine Germany's electricity supply, adding that the transfer will give a reasonable timeframe to discuss Germany's future energy supply before taking irreversible steps to decommission large reactors. - - - - - - - Looking Ahead - - - - - - - ¶6. COMMENT: While conservative state governments are supportive, the authority to transfer electricity operation credits (and thereby extend reactor life) lies with federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) -- a vocal proponent of continued "phaseout" -- along with the federal Economic ministry and Chancellery, which both unofficially oppose decommissioning. The decision puts German politicians in a bind, since the EU's latest move to demand greater CO2 reductions in Germany (allowing only 453 million tons between 2008 and 2012 instead of 465 million) speaks against phasing out nuclear energy; experts say additional CO2 reduction is impossible without nuclear power plants. ¶7. Utilities argue that existing nuclear reactors represent the most cost-effective and cleanest energy source in Germany (while opponents point to tax breaks and decommissioning/disposal costs). As a leading center for export-oriented manufacturing -- Baden-Wuerttemberg is home to Daimler-Chrysler, Bosch (the world's largest automotive supplier),and BASF (Europe's largest chemical concern) -- the state's large industrial enterprises want nuclear power as a means to help hold the line on energy costs (a factor in economic competitiveness and future investment decisions). ¶8. German public opinion may be "warming up" slowly to the continued operation of existing reactors. Though a majority has consistently favored the eventual phaseout of nuclear power, in a January 2007 FORSA poll, 61 percent of Germans polled said they would only support decommissioning reactors after alternative sources (wind, solar) can offer comparable output. This poll (which found cautious majorities among FDP, CDU, and SPD voters) reflects recent remarks by Chancellor Merkel and Economics Minister Glos, who have called on the anti-nuclear lobby to offer realistic alternatives which meet climate change concerns. Nuclear energy proponents have also raised this issue recently, seeking to capitalize on concerns over the security of Germany's energy supply from Russia in the wake of Gazprom's recent dispute with Belarus. END COMMENT. ¶9. This message was coordinated with Embassy Berlin. POWELL