Nuclear Power Squabble Over Czech Plant Proposal in Saxony Parliament
Saxony's Disapproval of Czech Nuclear Power Plant Plans - Proposal sought for worker radiation safety directive by commission Regarding worker risks from ionizing radiation exposure
There's a heated argument brewing in the Saxony state parliament about the Czech Republic's nuclear power plant project located near the German border. Representatives from the Greens, Left, and SPD are dead against it, while the AfD has shown their support for nuclear energy and expressed interest in building similar plants in Saxony. The CDU, on the other hand, has urged for caution, pointing out that the nuclear plant in Tušimice wouldn't start generating electricity until 2038, about 16 kilometers from the border.
Back in May, the Czech Republic announced plans for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant, a type of nuclear reactor with reduced electrical output, which can operate independently or in combination with several units. The proposed site in Tušimice, previously home to a brown coal power plant slated for shutdown and demolition around 2030, would begin construction in 2034.
Environment Minister Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch (CDU) affirmed that the Czech Republic has the right to decide its energy supply, and they should be free from moralizing. Saxony maintains a close relationship with the Czech Republic, with both countries collaborating on nuclear safety. "We have built trust, and we want to maintain that trust," Minister Breitenbuch stated.
However, concerns abound among the people in the Ore Mountains. The SPD's Simone Lang questions the wisdom of turning Saxony into a test laboratory. "We don't want to become a testing ground for the nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic," she said. Accidents don't recognize borders, and the issue of a final repository is still unresolved in the Czech Republic, she added. Comparing the nuclear disaster in Fukushima to the one in Chernobyl, she emphasized that these events are grim warnings, not just relics of the past.
Former Environment and Energy Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) believes that the risks associated with nuclear power cannot be fully managed. He urged the Saxon government to assertively express Saxony's interests during the environmental compatibility review for the nuclear power plant.
The discussion in the state parliament was initiated by the Greens, who fear the environmental and ecological hazards that may arise from the nuclear project. The Greens advocate for increased renewable energy developments, citing them as a safer and more sustainable alternative.
Interestingly, by the end of the day, the state parliament was expected to discuss the AfD's proposal for the reactivation of Germany's last-shuttered nuclear power plants.
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear Power Plant
- Saxony
- Czech Republic
- State Parliament
- SPD
- AfD
- CDU
- Dresden
- Electricity
- The heated argument in the Saxony state parliament centers around a potential nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic, near the German border, with some, like the SPD, expressing concerns about turning Saxony into a testing ground for the nuclear power plant.
- The proposed nuclear power plant, a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in Tušimice, would require the cooperation of the Saxony state parliament for its construction, which could generate electricity for the Czech Republic by 2038.
- The discourse in the state parliament also includes the AfD's proposal for reactivating Germany's last-shuttered nuclear power plants, demonstrating the significance of nuclear power in the industry, politics, and energy sector discussions.
