A German About-Face? Leading Daily Cites Paks Nuclear Power Plant as Example

It is rare to see an article in the German press that draws objective and rational conclusions on the role of nuclear energy and the usefulness of the Paks project in Hungary. Yet, such an article has now appeared in Die Welt. The piece discusses the European renaissance of nuclear energy while citing the advantages of nuclear power generation in Hungary as an example, highlighting the importance of climate protection, energy security and independence. It is worth remembering: Germany completely shut down its nuclear power program and is now struggling with high electricity prices.

Hungary may need a third nuclear power plant, but it would not be built in Paks (Source: Paks II)

A Way Out of Politically Driven Rejection

Germany, with its politically motivated rejection of nuclear energy, is increasingly becoming an outlier, or at least among a shrinking group. However, it is now entering a period of self-examination, as the article suggests,

Europe’s other countries are moving past Germany in this regard: elsewhere, nations are reopening to the use of nuclear energy, searching for suitable sites for nuclear power plants, negotiating with potential partners, and the faster ones are already building.”

Germany's perception of the Hungarian project is also interesting because one of its most important suppliers is Siemens, which had previously announced it was withdrawing from the nuclear industry, yet a few years later, its Budapest branch will be supplying the control systems for the Paks expansion. Clearly, the German corporate giant does not want to miss out on the increasingly certain European future of the nuclear industry.

The Idea of Energy Sovereignty Also Reaches the West

The article recalls the energy challenges of recent years, including supply disruptions, sanctions, the desperate search for alternative suppliers, and the drastic increases in gas, oil and electricity prices. It concludes that all these factors have contributed to a shift in European perspectives: “An industrial economy cannot depend on the weather, and a complete transition to renewables is not possible in the short term.”

“Countries that invest heavily in nuclear energy are countries that can act independently,” the article quotes experts as saying.