Germany's EnBW restates opposition to nuclear exit
Date: 07-Mar-02
Country: GERMANY
EnBW has previously rejected Germany's nuclear exit deal which has just passed through parliament.
Chairman Gerhard Goll told the company's annual news conference it was unrealistic to phase out nuclear energy, which is nearly emissions-free, by the early 2020s while cutting CO2 emissions under the Kyoto climate protection treaty.
EnBW, which is 34.5 percent owned by the nuclear-energy focused French state utility EdF, is committed to observe the nuclear consensus between the industry and the government, but has always argued against it.
Alternative energy sources, which would have to be developed to replace nuclear energy's coverage of annual German power demand of 500 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), were either high in emissions or posed potential safety risks, Goll said.
"The nuclear exit deal will come into force this spring, but I don't think that we can sufficiently replace nuclear energy with renewables or with fuel cell technology," he said.
"At the same time, it's highly likely that the European Union will sign Kyoto...it will then have to force members to comply," he added.
Goll's remarks were in response to media reports at the weekend that leading utilities had affirmed their support for abandoning nuclear power regardless of whether there was a change in government later this year.
The nuclear consensus was pushed forward by the ruling Social Democrat/Green party government coalition, but parts of the opposing Christian Democrats openly favour rethinking it if they win national elections in September.
"There is no sensible alternative to nuclear energy," said Goll.
EnBW produced 53.8 billion kWh of electricity last year, where its nuclear plants contributed 52.5 percent.
EdF is more than 80-percent reliant on nuclear power.