By Khulile Thwala
European country Germany’s final three nuclear power plants close their doors on April 15, 2023, marking the end of the country’s nuclear era that has spanned more than six decades.
Nuclear power has long been contentious in Germany. Some want to end reliance on a technology they view as unsustainable, dangerous, and a distraction from speeding up renewable energy.
Read More: Global wind and solar reached record levels in 2022, study finds
Reports suggest that for others, closing down nuclear plants is short-sighted. CNN reports that some experts see it as turning off the tap on a reliable source of low-carbon energy at a time when drastic cuts to planet-heating pollution are needed.
Even as these debates rumble on, and despite last-minute calls to keep the plants online amid an energy crisis, the German government has pressed on with its decision to quit nuclear power for good.
Read More: SA, DRC listed among 5 critical mineral producers in Africa
“The position of the German government is clear: nuclear power is not green. Nor is it sustainable,” Steffi Lemke, Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment and Consumer Protection and a Green Party member told CNN.
“We are embarking on a new era of energy production,” she said.
