The 1986 Chernobyl accident: crises and their impact on the development of renewables

Muenster - The Chernobyl reactor accident 25 years ago provided significant impetus for the development of renewable energy technologies around the globe. However, this process did not start in the immediate aftermath of the nuclear accident in the Ukraine but took some time to gain momentum, reported the IWR, a renewable energy institute, from Münster, Germany. \"In 1986 a lack of viable alternatives made it impossible to phase out nuclear energy with immediate effect. Today the situation is different,\" said IWR Director Dr. Norbert Allnoch on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe.

In Germany, the Chernobyl accident prompted the implementation of a raft of political measures at the end of the 1980s and start of the 1990s to streamline development of renewable energy technologies. Along with the 250 MW-Wind programme and the 1,000-Roof Solar Energy programme, the real impetus for the still-ongoing development of renewables was provided by the Electricity Feed-In Law which came into force on 01.01.1991 (the precursor of the Renewable Energy Law). The small-scale wind turbines installed in the 30-150 kilowatt range have since developed into modern facilities with installed capacity of 3 to 7 megawatts (MW). Solar costs per installed kilowatt have already fallen by over 90 per cent since 1990.

\"We also only expect the catastrophe in Fukushima to provide fresh impetus for renewables in the medium term, but the political reactions will come,\" is Allnoch’s upbeat assessment for the renewables industry.


Muenster, April 28, 2011


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Attention editorial offices: For further questions please contact Mr.
Dr. Norbert Allnoch, International Economic Platform for Renewable
Energies (IWR).

Soester Str. 13
48155 Muenster
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)251 / 23 94 6-0
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