29 Jul (NucNet): With Germany pushing ahead with plans to phase out nuclear energy by 2022, Ralf Güldner, president of the German Atomic Forum (DAtF), spoke to NucNet about the future of nuclear, continuing efforts to open a high-level waste repository, and potential economic problems caused by high levels of uncertainty in the country’s power market. Mr Güldner said nuclear is still providing the German energy supply system with “very valuable baseload power”.
He said nuclear accounts for about 16 to 17 percent of total power supply and about one-third of baseload supply. However, there are regional differences. In Bavaria nuclear provided nearly 50 percent of the total power supply in 2014. He said nuclear stations do not achieve their previous high levels of production because their output is being adjusted to compensate for renewables. “As a German citizen, I am curious as to how grid stability will be maintained in the future,” he said. The interview is online for subscribers: http://bit.ly/1IrBA9M
