SUNRISE – A caesura after nuclear has gone: Energy in Germany(and in other potentially de-nuclearizing countries)

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 37; no. 9; pp. 7317 - 7342
• Main Author: Winter, Carl-Jochen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Cleaning; De-carbonization, re-carbonization of energy; De-materialization, miniaturization; De-nuclearizing; Energy and exergy efficiency gains; Hydrogenation of energy; Renewable energies; De-nuclearizing; De-materialization, miniaturization; Renewable energies; De-carbonization, re-carbonization of energy; Hydrogenation of energy; Energy and exergy efficiency gains
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.02.006

The German Bundestag decided June 30, 2011 to shut down by 2022 stepwise the complete national nuclear power plant capacity which at the time of decision generated some 22% of the nation’s electricity demand. This presentation tries to present a technology forecast of three potential compensations 1) energy and exergy efficiency gains, 2) renewable energies, and 3) hydrogen energy, thereby bearing in mind that fossil fuels such as coal, mineral oil and natural gas will by no means be gone after that short 10 year transition time. Consequently, not only the three compensations, but also fossil fuels – now efficient to the technological utmost – have to meet the obligation of reducing anthropogenic environmental and climate changing influences, and, in Germany’s case with 75% of its energy demand covered by imports of great importance, try to decrease the almost life risking high import rate by distributing suppliers all over the world and start introducing global clean renewable energies and trade in renewable hydrogen energy. Whether SUNRISE will evolve into a paragon for all those nations thinking of, planning for, or already taking the first steps towards saying farewell to nuclear is too early to determine. The four components of energy sustainability compensating for nuclear – energy and exergy efficiency gains, clean fossil, solar and hydrogen – pluck up courage, make headway and leave nuclear behind. And, in particular, hydrogen energy is and will increasingly become humankind’s common cause! Two conclusions recapitulate the findings: “Activate what lies dormant” and “Remove barriers.”