The Czech Republic is not only planning the expansion of the Temelín nuclear power plant. In ten years’ time, much smaller reactors will also have to be built. Great concern and protest.
“If necessary, we just have to get back on the road,” said Anita Gstöttenmayr, mayor of Leopoldschlag in the border region of Upper Austria with the Czech Republic. From there it’s only about 50 kilometers to the Temelín nuclear power plant, which crossed the border at Wullowitz because it started working more than 20 years ago and was blocked with tractors.
Now the Czech Republic is not only planning to expand the existing nuclear power plant, which causes many accidents, with two more reactors. There, too, a “nuclear test” will take place in ten years’ time, namely the construction of a so-called “small modular reactor”. These untried pilot projects embody the nuclear lobby’s new marketing offensive by belittling them as “mini-nuclear reactors.”
Many of these smaller reactors – with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts of electricity, which is almost a third of a Temelín reactor – will be built in the Czech Republic. As a replacement for coal-fired power stations, and thus as a remedy for the climate catastrophe, is the main advertising argument.
Nevertheless, the concerns in Bavaria and Upper Austria – see Leopoldschlag – are great: “We will certainly not stand idly by if our northern neighbors carry out an experiment with a nuclear power plant on our doorstep,” says Upper Austria provincial councilor Stefan Kaineder.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
