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Sunflower field in front of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant: "Technically it's possible, legally it's possible, politically it has to be wanted"
Photo: Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON / SVEN SIMON
In view of the energy crisis, Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) is pleading for a longer term for the Isar 2 nuclear power plant.
This means that the reactor could continue to run with the existing fuel elements until the middle of next year at the latest.
An operation beyond this is out of the question for riders.
Recently, a report by TÜV Süd that became known came to the conclusion that Isar 2 could continue to operate.
However, the Union rejects Reiter's proposal.
CSU regional group chief Alexander Dobrindt said at a closed conference in the Upper Franconian monastery of Banz that a stretching operation would not mean an increase in the amount of electricity generated - and was therefore useless.
»Things have to keep going«
CDU leader Friedrich Merz said in the Banz monastery that the stretching operation only makes sense if the time gained is used to procure new fuel elements for an extended term over the winter.
France manages to get fuel rods for more than 50 nuclear power plants.
The question is whether Germany could do this for three plants.
"Technically it's possible, legally it's possible, politically it has to be wanted," said Merz: "To be honest, I don't give a damn whether with or without stretching.
Things have to keep going.«
Isar 2 is one of three nuclear power plants still in operation in Germany.
By the end of the year they should go offline.
There is currently a heated debate about letting them run longer because of the tense energy situation.
In addition to the Union, the FDP is also campaigning for this.
Their coalition partners SPD and Greens reject this.
However, the Federal Ministry of Economics wants to test the power supply under more stringent conditions in another stress test.
ptz/dpa
