Germany shows that nuclear energy is a blast from the past
The data can’t be denied: a country can abandon nuclear power without increasing the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal or gas, and instead rely on renewables. The prophets of doom who claimed nuclear energy would be an indispensable part of the global energy mix were wrong, or, like the chairman of Spanish oil company Repsol, Antonio Brufau, outright liars (link in Spanish).
According to data from the Fraunhofer Institute, in May 2022, nuclear energy still made up 5.79% of Germany’s power generation. In addition, 39.70% of energy was produced by fossil fuels (coal and gas), while of renewable energies (solar, wind, hydro and biomass) contributed 55.72%.
In May of this year 2023, with energy consumption at a lower level, nuclear energy no longer figure, after the closure of the last remaining plants as part of a plan drawn up more than 20 years ago, while fossil fuels account for 31.70%, a significant drop of 7% which, given the country’s plans for investment in infrastructure for the production of renewable energies, will continue to fall. Renewable energy, however, has increased its share to 69.70% of the total, not only making up for nuclear power, but eliminating part of the need to burn fossil fuels. The goal of Germany, Europe’s largest economy, to decarbonize power generation by 2035 is perfectly feasible…
