Abstract
It’s no secret that German energy is in short supply. Already reliant on coal, a shortage of nuclear power has left the country scrambling to find other viable sources of electricity. The Energiewende, or “energy transition”, as it was called when first created in 2000, had meant Germany would give up on all things nuclear by 2022 and focus instead on renewables like solar and wind power.
But that plan has been dealt a blow by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which put the country in the spotlight. What’s more, Germany became dependent on natural gas, which was causing supply problems. A draft report from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in October 2014 estimates that by 2020 natural gas imports will total 705 billion cubic meters, up from 2015’s 687 billion cubic meters.
Germany Chancellor’s words with regards to nationalize gas importers
So, it’s no surprise when Chancellor Angela Merkel tells an audience at Oxford University: “In addition to coal and renewable energy, we need natural gas because of the upcoming energy transition.
Since Germany has made tremendous strides in its attempts to wean itself off fossil fuels and as of June this year it was running on two-thirds renewable energy for the second time. The nearly 70 percent of the power that came from renewables, however, was not enough to keep up with the demand for electricity.
With nuclear power and coal off the table, Germany has few energy alternatives, so it’s turning to one of its own. In a drive to diversify its sources of energy, and in the face of EU concerns that it’s putting the national interest ahead of common ones, Germany is going after its own natural gas reserves.
Reuters
According to the BMWi draft report mentioned above, German imports are expected to more than double by 2025 as an increasingly wealthier population demands more electricity. With imports at 650 billion cubic meters by this time next decade, Germany will be almost completely dependent on outside sources for gas.
Germany being the head as a gas importer
Germany is holding talks with several countries about importing gas from those countries’ reserves. Chief among those countries is the US and the idea has been discussed before here at Truth Uncensored, which – while not a solution – will only lead to more oil use and more carbon emissions.
But it turns out that there is too little sunshine and too few breezes to take up all the slack for lost nuclear capacity-and as coal plants close down due to environmental regulations, there are still not enough renewable energy sources to make up the difference.
Summary
The Energiewende, or “energy transition”, had meant Germany would give up all things nuclear by 2022. But that plan has been dealt a blow by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. What’s more, Germany became dependent on natural gas, which was causing supply problems.
German imports of natural gas are expected to more than double by 2025. Germany is holding talks with several countries about importing gas from those countries’ reserves. The idea has been discussed before here at Truth Uncensored and will only lead to more oil use and carbon emissions.
