More recently, the German Minister of Energy announced his refusal to build new nuclear power plants and the transition in the near future to the use of renewable sources. This is a very bold statement. Will a state with such a powerful and developed industry be able to provide electricity needs only through the use of wind, solar and water? This is a big question. The opinions of industry experts on this issue are very controversial. However, as history shows, German energy can develop dynamically and at a very fast pace, despite many constraints. This article is devoted to the problems and history of the development of nuclear (and not only) energy in modern Germany.
Construction of nuclear power plants in West Germany
Active construction of nuclear power plants in the Federal Republic of Germany began in 1955. This is due to the entry of Germany into the NATO alliance. Prior to this, the development of nuclear energy in Germany was vetoed. The ban was imposed not only on the development of nuclear programs, but also on a number of other industries (including the development of the army and weapons). These restrictions were imposed after the surrender of Germany following the Second World War and the transition of its western territories to the control of the United States of America and Great Britain.
In 1961, the first nuclear power plant was commissioned. It had very modest technical characteristics (total power - only 15,000 watts, type of reactor - BWR). It was, in fact, a pilot project aimed at obtaining, not profit, but important scientific data.
The year 1969 was marked by the commissioning of the first commercial nuclear power station, Origheim. The reactor of this station had a capacity of already 340,000 watts. This power plant had a PWR type reactor.
Further development of Germany’s nuclear energy was spurred by the development of new modifications of nuclear reactors, as well as the growth of quotations of exchange prices for energy resources (in particular oil). The industry has shown unprecedented growth rates. The share of electricity in the overall energy structure of Germany produced at nuclear power plants was supposed to be increased to forty-five percent. However, this indicator was never achieved: by 1990, the share of nuclear energy was 30 percent of the total output.
The sites for the construction of nuclear power plants were chosen most often in the lower (or in the middle course) rivers. At the same time, the needs of the population of nearby cities for electricity and the availability of fuel resources were taken into account. Precisely because of the dispersal, all nuclear power plants had one (with a rare exception of two) power units. Moreover, the maximum power of nuclear plants of that time did not exceed 100,000 watts, which by modern standards is a very modest indicator.
It cannot be said that in those years the development of nuclear energy was absolutely unhindered. Under the influence of public appearances, the construction of at least three nuclear power plants was discontinued. Another station was decommissioned one year after commissioning. Probably, in those days the idea of reorienting energy in Germany to renewable sources arose.
Nevertheless, the development of a peaceful atom was marked by a number of breakthrough successes. So, West Germany became the first capitalist state in the world to build a merchant ship with a nuclear installation. We are talking about the world-famous bulk carrier Otto Gan. The experiment turned out to be very successful: for ten years this ship was actively operated and more than repulsed the funds invested in its construction.
The most significant market share in the construction of nuclear power plants was occupied by Kraftwerk Union. She was later absorbed by the industrial giant Siemens.
In April 1989, the second nuclear reactor of the Neckarvestheim station was launched. After that, the nuclear industry froze in anticipation of further developments in the political arena. As you know, the unification of Germany and the demolition of the wall, which for a long time divided the people, soon followed. Of course, these events could not but affect the development of energy. The new political leadership will bet on the development of alternative energy in Germany.
The history of the development of the nuclear industry in East Germany
Compared to West Germany, energy (primarily nuclear) developed according to a different model. The authorities of the German Democratic Republic have relied on the construction of large nuclear power plants of high power. Although the development of nuclear energy in these territories began with a slight delay: the first station (Rainsberg) with a power unit of 70,000 watts was launched only in 1966. Active participation in the design and construction of this nuclear power plant took experts and scientists from the Soviet Union. The project was very successful, and the station worked for almost a quarter of a century without serious accidents and emergencies. By the way, this was the first foreign experience of Soviet specialists in the field of nuclear energy and the construction of nuclear plants.
The next nuclear power station was Nord. The project included the construction of eight power units. The first four were built between 1973 and 1979, after which the construction of the rest was laid. Four power units produced ten percent of all the country's electricity and played an important role in the development of German energy.
We can say that the history of the nuclear energy of the GDR ended at the time of the unification of disparate states and the demolition of the Berlin Wall. The social formation and priorities have changed. Green energy has become increasingly popular. Germany suspended the operation of all nuclear power plants on the territory of the former GDR and mothballed them. The new government criticized the technology of the Soviet Union and found these stations dangerous. The construction of new stations was out of the question. According to most experts, such actions have dealt a big blow to the economy of the whole country. The decision was clearly politically biased, because such stations successfully worked in many countries of the world.
Fuel supply
On the territory of the GDR, uranium ore was actively mined. Saxon and Thuringian mines fell under the control of the Soviet Union. A joint venture, Bismuth, was established, which oversaw the extraction of uranium ore in the German Democratic Republic. Uranium fuel production volumes were quite impressive. GDR ranks third in the global ranking of countries for uranium mining. The energy sector of the German Democratic Republic was undergoing rapid development. After the unification of the country's territories and the closure of the GDR nuclear power plants, uranium mining fell sharply.
West Germany was not lucky: on its territory there were practically no uranium ore deposits suitable for industrial development. Raw materials were imported from Niger, Canada and even Australia. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Germany abandoned nuclear power.
Failed experiment
Due to the limited resources of nuclear fuel in West Germany, reactors with fast neutron technology played an important role. The first experimental fast reactor was built in 1985. The site was Kalkar NPP. However, the fate of this masterpiece of engineering was unenviable. It was a long-term construction (it was built for a long thirteen years). Moreover, the construction was regularly stopped due to protests in society and mass demonstrations. About seven billion German marks were invested in the development and construction of this power unit (in terms of current prices - this amount is equivalent to about three and a half billion euros). The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant caused a flurry of criticism of the construction of this facility, and it had to be frozen (for which another 75 million euros were spent).
The nuclear power plant itself was refitted as an amusement park. It should be said that the idea turned out to be worthwhile: annually more than six hundred thousand people visit this park, leaving a lot of money there.
The course to abandon the use of atomic energy
Protests against the construction of nuclear power plants took place even in the dashing 1970s, when crisis phenomena in the energy sector were observed all over the world. The protest mood was fueled by “green”, under the direct supervision of which several construction sites were seized. As a result, the construction of these stations was frozen and never resumed.
At the turn of the century (late 90s), the Green Party came to power. Then the cross was put on the development of the nuclear industry in Germany. Wind power, as well as solar, began to attract more and more public attention. Research in this area has been actively funded. And I must say, not to no avail - the share of clean energy in the total output began to grow rapidly.
In 2000, a law was adopted aimed at eliminating the use of atomic energy. Of course, there could be no question of stopping and conserving all nuclear power plants at once. The problem of using nuclear energy was supposed to be solved as follows. Each nuclear power plant can operate without modernization and overhaul, after which it was proposed to close these stations. The service life before overhaul was 32 years. The German Ministry of Economics and Energy today annoyedly reports that this program will not be implemented as planned. Already in 2021, there should not have been a single station on the territory of modern Germany. Nevertheless, the Germans did a lot for this. The share of nuclear energy in the total volume drops markedly every year. The plan was adjusted for 15 years, taking into account the growing needs of the German industry for electricity. Thus, the last nuclear station should be closed in 2035. According to experts, Germany has every chance to complete the work it has begun to the end. It will be an unprecedented event in world history.
Liquidation of nuclear power plants
By West 2011, all nuclear power plants over 30 years old were shut down for the purpose of a comprehensive inspection by the government commission. No major safety gaps were identified. But who cares? Society was determined to eliminate the atomic threat. The Greens party added fuel to the fire. According to the results of the audit, 8 out of 17 working power units stopped working.
The owners of the nuclear power plants littered German courts with claims for compensation for damage caused and demands not to close the stations. However, the business could not compete with the state. The German Ministry of Energy, with the support of the Chancellor, decided to close the remaining 9 blocks by 2022.
Betting on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources
Today, Germany holds a leading position in the world in a number of indicators on the use of renewable alternative energy sources. The number of wind generators exceeded twenty three thousand. These windmills generate one third of the world's wind power. Their total power is 31 gigawatts.
The share of nuclear energy today is only 16 percent of the total electricity generated. Germany already covers more than a quarter of its electricity needs with renewable sources. Moreover, this share is growing very quickly. Solar power in Germany is developing particularly rapidly. But the development of wind energy is complicated by a number of factors (lack of a sufficient number of power lines, uneven generation of energy, the difficulty of integrating wind farms into the country's overall energy system).
Environmental monitoring
The German Ministry of Nature noted an increase in the growth of harmful gas emissions into the atmosphere by a total of 1.6 percent. At the same time, industrial production showed very insignificant growth (0.2 percent). At the same time, the industries that traditionally produce the largest amount of harmful substances (chemical industry and metallurgy) showed a very significant decline - 3.7 percent. The increase in emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere can be explained only by the increase in the number of thermal power plants, provoked by the closure and cessation of operation of a number of nuclear power plants.
According to the assurances of industry experts, the environmental situation could have been much better if all 17 liquidated power units continued to operate. It would be possible to reduce emissions by one hundred and fifty million tons per year. Approximately so much is produced by all automobile transport in Germany.
Hit the German economy
Estimates of the losses suffered by Germany as a result of the abandonment of nuclear energy vary greatly (30 billion - 2 trillion euros). With the most negative outlook, losses will amount to about sixty questions from GDP.
In any case, the population and industry will feel the consequences of abandoning nuclear energy. A significant increase in electricity prices is expected. As a result, all manufactured goods will rise in price by at least 15-20 percent, which will significantly weaken the position of Germany in the international arena.
Already today, many families are unable to pay electricity bills. In the future, we should expect an increase in debt and an increase in power outages in the homes of residents (last year alone, about 120 thousand such forced outages were made).
Industry development prospects
Germany is not limited to the development of only wind energy. All potential opportunities for the development of green energy are used. Comprehensive scientific research is underway to create effective solar cells, develop geothermal energy, and so on. There were even the first gas-fired power plants that are generated in landfills.
However, green energy alone is not enough to meet the country's needs. Therefore, efficient thermal power plants are developed and built . The sizes of these thermal power plants are small. They are usually installed in the basement of residential buildings.
The effectiveness of investing in the development of alternative energy remains extremely small. It was estimated that 130 billion euros invested in the construction of infrastructure led only to a three percent increase in energy production.
The people and the government have relied on the development of alternative energy in Germany. Russia, and a number of other states, continue to actively build nuclear power plants. It is hard to say which approach is the right one. Time will judge.