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The THTR Circulars from 2006

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THTR Circular No. 109, Nov. 2006


Drama in three acts

NRW working group should prepare future THTR research

Who doesn't know the need? Finally having some peace and quiet and not hearing or seeing any more annoying political problems? Especially nothing from the currently controversial and competitive THTR bankruptcy reactor, which is about to be awakened to new life.

I have a good tip for those who want to hear absolutely nothing of all this news-wise - not even if the German Bundestag with almost complete ministerial and political prominence as a speaker on 22 (!!) pages of minutes for a big exchange of blows about the future our Hammer cutting edge technology comes together: In our popular local Hammer newspaper "Westfälischer Anzeiger" there is guaranteed not a single word about it; you save yourself all the fuss and find out nothing about it. That is easy on the nerves and you should actually give this newspaper a small wellness and relaxation obulus so that it leaves us so considerately in peace with such hardships.

Because such restraint is by no means a matter of course. For a fairly conservative newspaper it would be a pleasure to report how the former NRW Environment Minister Bärbel Höhn quickly leaves the plenary hall after a flaming anti-THTR speech (by the way: almost everything "taken over" from our website) and then with smug people Notes of the CDU is considered.

The highly esteemed parliamentarians of course prefer to read the cosmopolitan and well-informed THTR circular when it comes to the reactor and not a backwoods provincial newspaper like the WA for nothing. However, the debate in the Bundestag only caught our attention because in the three days before, several hundred more than average visitors surfed our homepage in order to write off there (SPD, Greens: why not earlier, when you were still in government? ) or to turn away with horror (FDP, CDU).

But as it is, when parliamentarians talk a lot, nothing useful comes out of it, as we shall see later. The drama in three acts, the client of which the WA has so caringly spared us from, begins:

I. The actors take the stage

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After the second attempt by NRW Research Minister Pinkwart and the benevolent support from NRW Economics Minister Thoben for increased funding of the THTR in NRW, the nuclear debate in some parliamentary bodies and ministries is gaining momentum.

On June 28, 6, the German Bundestag debated the possibly entirely new future of the THTR. The 2006-page long protocol with some extremely revealing contributions by some speakers (and heckling screams) can be read at www.kotting-uhl.de/reden. Federal Environment Minister Gabriel, Ms. Höhn and Flach had their say in detail here, among other things.

According to TAZ-NRW reports of August 3, 2006, Beatrix Vierkorn-Rudolph from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research announced a new atomic working group. It is intended to sound out future nuclear research tasks at Forschungszentrum Jülich, which has so far carried out intensive research on the THTR. Two years ago such intentions were vehemently denied by the same person. Times are obviously changing. To know exactly, we have made a request.

In essence, it is about the fact that the analysis of the "nuclear research capacities in Jülich" under discussion lacks any material basis because the (research) reactors in question no longer exist - i.e. the safety technology of reactors that are no longer available could no longer be improved . Unless you want to break the existing exit law, build new reactors and thus make yourself liable to prosecution, as Federal Environment Minister Gabriel put it remarkably clearly in the parliamentary debate.

On July 20, 7, Beatrix Vierkorn-Rudolph from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of the citizens' initiative for environmental protection in Hamm wrote: "Forschungszentrum Jülich does not intend to further develop the HTR line, nor will it be funded with federal funds. Forschungszentrum Jülich does not intend to intensify this either Research line at EU level. "

That seems like yesterday's news. As a member of the FZJ's supervisory board, the same person announced the establishment of a new working group on August 3, 8 in the TAZ: "In this group we will work out the form in which nuclear research skills can be used in Jülich."

Obviously Pinkwart, whose NRW ministry only owns 10% of the shares in the FZJ, is preparing a deliberate breach of contract: The "Atomic Exit Act" is to be disregarded so that this habilitated chaos researcher can realize his very own vision of combining HTR technology with the hydrogen economy. How long can Pinkwart dance on the nose of Federal Environment Minister Gabriel? How does the grand coalition react to this?

In a letter to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Hamm citizens' initiative for environmental protection asked. 

II. The Greed of the Nuclear Democrats

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Environment Minister Thoben and Research Minister Pinkwart are worried that this large, sixty-year-old energy country has nothing left with which it could ingratiate itself with RWE and the like and keep them in a good mood with a few billion euros for a new bankruptcy reactor - as was the case with THTR happened in Hamm-Uentrop.

To make matters worse, according to the latest Forsa survey, 73 percent of Germans are in favor of the nuclear phase-out or even for its acceleration. So what to do in these times?

One gets together with like-minded people, writes discussion papers and sends the result to the close press: "Despite the coalition agreement to phase out nuclear power, several Union countries want to push through longer operating times for nuclear power plants with a joint effort. The energy policy framework has become clear since the agreement in 2000 changed ', the magazine "Focus" quoted an internal paper. North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Economic Affairs Christa Thoben had drawn up the letter for the negotiations on a national energy concept. " (SZ, August 21, 8)

The TAZ wrote on the same day in its NRW edition: "The North Rhine-Westphalian energy minister Christa Thoben is at the head of the pro-atom movement. (...) The energy policy spokesman for the green parliamentary group, Rainer Priggen, criticizes the Advance from Thoben: 'The minister is making herself the bailiff of the big electricity companies.' There is no other way he could explain the leadership of the NRW state government in the paper. Only the energy giants E.on, RWE and EnBW benefit from an extension of the running times. "

The Greens now have to watch powerlessly as even the extremely inadequate "nuclear phase-out" that they helped initiate is ripe for storm by nine CDU / FDP-governed state governments a few months after the loss of their participation in the government. Every current green press release on the "nuclear phase-out" impressively demonstrates the failures and negligent omissions of the former red-green governments. Since the Greens have since forgotten how to demonstrate, in the end all that remains is a toothless paper tiger that relies on the benevolence of newspaper companies: Will at least a few compassionate lines fall off as a visible expression of green misery this time? In any case, this will no longer really affect the course of events.

We are living in a transition period in terms of energy policy. What comes next is open thanks to red-green omissions. Only a decommissioned nuclear power plant, the main components of which have been dismantled, would have been a really safe step towards the exit. This historic opportunity was frivolously wasted.

Today, decisions about the direction of energy policy are determined differently; "Die Welt" of August 21, 8 writes: "However, the development of the price of crude oil is also unpredictable. Nine Union-governed federal states are now drawing conclusions from this and are shaking off the nuclear phase-out again." And adds: "Until the last nuclear reactor in Germany goes offline, the nuclear consensus still leaves 2006 years to invest in the use of sun, wind and biomass." The "Rheinische Post" summarized on the same day: "The subject (nuclear phase-out, HB) has now finally been removed from the taboo."

In North Rhine-Westphalia, not only the Pinkwarts and Thobens ministries, but also at the Ruhr-Uni Bochum, which held its 4th Bochum Energy Day in July under the title: "The Challenge of Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century", are busy working on removing taboos. The content and motto of this conference indicate the opposite of an intended nuclear phase-out.

On August 24, 8, the deputy FDP federal chairman Cornelia Pieper issued a press release for the FDP parliamentary group in which she increased HTR funding as part of the European "Generation IV International Forum (GIF, see THTR circular no. 2006 and 93) warned: "The 94th Research Framework Program of the European Union provides for integrated research projects and networks for the further development of reactor safety concepts. A decision on whether and how German research institutions will participate in EU projects has not yet been made. So that Germany does not lose its technological connection, a framework agreement of the federal government for the participation of German research institutions in the internationally open GIF projects is necessary. "

What is often neglected from the nationally limited perspective: For several legislative periods, Germany has been involved in EU nuclear research, especially HTR research, under Rotgrün, too. The decisive course is set in the EU's 7th Research Framework Program, which is currently being negotiated. A decisive response from environmentalists, who even take note of this fact, is still pending.

On September 10th, the 50th anniversary of Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) was celebrated with a large ceremony and an open day. Many speeches were given on this occasion, but the tug-of-war takes place behind the scenes on a particularly controversial topic: The return to nuclear research, which Research Minister Pinkwart and Economics Minister Thoben have been busily pushing for.
For decades, this center has been researching the controversial high-temperature reactor (HTR) line. But now the last atomic professors are retiring. That does not suit the CDU / FDP state government and that is why new money and new professors are needed so that Germany is fit for new nuclear adventures and "innovations" if a new CDU / FDP-led federal government is to reverse the nuclear phase-out in three years' time .
Will the strong words that Federal Environment Minister Gabriel found during the Bundestag debate on June 28, 2006 about the new planned THTR research be followed up with concrete actions and initiatives to prevent it? We drew his attention to this problem in a letter. 

III. Nuclear lobby wins in professorial positions

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In the TAZ-NRW of September 9, 2006, Federal Environment Minister Gabriel clearly showed that he is not thinking of burning his fingers: "A spokesman for Gabriel denies any responsibility and even declares: 'Research reactors are not affected by the nuclear phase-out'." The Federal Environment Minister, who otherwise does not miss an opportunity to puff himself up in a media-effective manner in order to present himself as a verbatim enforcer of the "nuclear phase-out", pulls his tail. Because laurels are not to be had here for free, you would have to risk a little more confrontation with the political opponent!

Shortly afterwards, on September 19, 9, the Westfälische Anzeiger announced the result of Gabriel's inaction, but withheld in this context that this was special THTR research: "NRW Innovation Minister Andreas Pinkwart made sure that three professorships for nuclear research of the RWTH Aachen University will be filled - the chairs for reactor safety and technology, for nuclear waste disposal as well as for radiation protection. In addition to their teaching activities at the RWTH, two professors will head the Institute for Safety Research and Reactor Technology at the Research Center Jülich The state wanted to 'send a clear signal' to continue nuclear energy research, said the FDP state chief. " - In any case, the nuclear lobby has no inhibitions whatsoever to assert its interests boldly and bluntly.

Nevertheless, Pinkwart's illegal nuclear rampage is not without controversy, even at Forschungszentrum Jülich. A lot of meaningful research is carried out in Europe's largest interdisciplinary research center and consequently there are level-headed voices here too who don't think much of Pinkwart's nuclear adventures. That is why even the head of Forschungszentrum Jülich, who is leaving after 16 years, Joachim Treusch, in an interview with "Technology Review" on September 15, 2006 is now a little more cautious when it comes to the prospects of the HTR line in North Rhine-Westphalia:

"The conflict may have been portrayed a little more powerful than it was at the end. To operate classic nuclear technology with hardware here in Jülich would mean having to completely rebuild it. Because our nuclear technology systems have bled to death as a result of the politics of the past 15 years. What is still there is, is more on the theoretical side: simulation programs on how to operate a reactor safely. I can imagine that we will continue this. But relaunching the high-temperature reactor makes no sense. (...) TR: That means you want to also that Germany is doing more research on nuclear technology again? Treusch: In any case, on repositories and reactor safety. I believe that the world is smart enough at the moment to develop new types of reactors even without us. " - Because Jülich made it "smart" for decades. According to the current course set by the CDU and FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia, it will stay that way, at least in part. 

The rear trot: Gabriel answers us

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Thank you for your letter of September 3, 2006. I have already clearly stated my fundamentally negative attitude towards re-entering high-temperature technology. I don't see any serious indications for such a return to work in Germany at the moment. The construction of a new nuclear reactor for commercial energy generation is excluded by the Atomic Energy Act §7 AtG, Paragraph 1.


New research reactors, on the other hand, could continue to be built. However, due to the conceptual differences, a new high-temperature reactor research reactor would hardly be able to improve the safety of the existing plants in Germany. So I see no reason why the Federal Republic of Germany should help finance such a project.

Research in this direction could not be undertaken by Forschungszentrum Jülich without the consent of the research institution's supervisory board. According to the equipment of the research center, to which you rightly point out, the federal government represents the numerically largest parliamentary group in this body.

The continuation of nuclear research at Forschungszentrum Jülich, which you criticize, cannot only be viewed from the perspective of a possible continuation of high-temperature reactor research. The Federal Republic of Germany will continue to use nuclear power for the next 15 years. It must therefore be in our interest that the competence for the safety of nuclear reactors in Germany is not lost. Of course, this applies even more to the competence in the disposal of nuclear waste, which we have to keep permanently. For this reason, despite the nuclear phase-out, it is necessary to maintain research in the field of reactor safety and disposal in Germany.

I am convinced that the old visions that have recently been put forward for the construction of new nuclear power plants in Germany will remain mental games. I will do this with full commitment. Thank you for your support in realizing this goal. "

Sigmar Gabriel, October 26, 2006 

Comment on the rear trot

We at BI Environmental Protection Hamm would like to thank the Federal Environment Minister for the answer and welcome his rejection of the re-entry into HTR technology.

However, we see some things a little differently than in his letter. If NRW Minister Pinkwart can enforce his well-equipped professorship positions in Aachen / Jülich, which he calls for, most of which deal with HTR research, without too much problems - what is this but a serious indication of a possible re-entry into this reactor line ? Gabriel refers to the current impossibility under nuclear law to build new nuclear reactors for commercial (!) Energy production, which is just as true as it distracts from the subject of HTR. It is well known that new reactor lines and reactor lines to be developed have a lead time of up to 20 years. Building a new commercial reactor cannot be an option at the moment. Rather, it is about decisive research policy decisions that have been made in North Rhine-Westphalia with the establishment of the professorships mentioned in the last few months! And this with the decisive say of the federal government in the supervisory board of Forschungszentrum Jülich. Gabriel says nothing about how that happened.

The Federal Research Minister sees "no reason why the FRG should participate in the financing of such a project". That is very laudable, but for many years the FRG has been financing the European HTR research it has contributed with the EU nuclear research funds it has contributed: The FRG representatives in the EU committees have approved the HTR projects, as has the EU Commission has communicated! The majority of HTR development is now being driven forward in the European context by a well-organized nuclear lobby. Small-scale departmental thinking that only has its own area of ​​responsibility in mind does not help here.

Finally, the Federal Environment Minister draws attention to what he believes is necessary safety research for nuclear power, as this form of energy would be used in the FRG for another 15 years. What does this have to do with the HTR line, in which not a single reactor has been in operation in the FRG since 1989?

In his opinion, the "safety research" for nuclear power plants that will still be necessary in the future shows too clearly that the allegedly irreversible nuclear phase-out is not one: the necessary competence for the nuclear re-entry into the new construction of plants at any time is provided by all-round research activities. A change of government to a CDU / FDP coalition could seamlessly tie in with current research activities.

The nuclear phase-out should therefore not be left to politicians alone and should not be restricted to the fashionable Gorleben or Ahaus areas. Only in 15 to 20 years, when the construction of small HTRs that can be combined with hydrogen begins, with a corresponding political constellation, will many environmentalists be smarter than they are today and come across the events of 2006 while recapitulating their own failures.

Epilogue

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It can no longer be kept a secret anyway: there are also people at Forschungszentrum Jülich who reject HTR research. Some of them have shown solidarity with the efforts and work of BI environmental protection (for good reason without specifying the sender) and pointed out some important cornerstones of the future decision-making process in matters of HTR research. We are very grateful for this support. During a conversation with the TAZ-NRW, the latter expressed interest in the letter in order to report in more detail on the subject of HTR research. Since one can never be too careful with journalists, I had myself repeatedly assured that the above letter itself would be kept out of the reporting. I thought that for a newspaper that called itself "alternative" 25 years ago, this agreement would be enough. - Nothing! The editor Moritz Schröder let go of Max in "best" picture newspaper fashion and did nothing but hair-raising nonsense: There are about two factual errors in pretty much every sentence about the THTR itself. Screaming at the market, he announced "Look here, I've got hold of a piece of paper that nobody else has". That went really stupid and annoying. And won't happen again. Especially not with the TAZ-NRW. And the moral of the story: don't trust a newspaper that you don't publish yourself.

Horst Blume

Dear readers!

Note: An article about the politics of WASG & Linkspartei with the title "Links und lahm" by Horst Blume can be found under the heading "Graswurzelrevolution" on the website www.linksnet.de, a cooperation of around 30 left-wing magazines. The article "Gold rush mood in Namibia" about Namibia's path to becoming the number 1 uranium mining company in the world can be viewed at www.graswurzel.net (November) and in a few days also on this website.

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