Sรถderโข Advocates forโ Mini Nuclear โคPower Plants to Bolsterโค german Energy Independence
BERLIN -โข November 15, 2025 โข- Bavarian Minister-President Markus Sรถderโ is pushing for the advancementโ and โdeployment ofโค small โmodular nuclear reactorsโ (SMRs) in Germany, arguingโข they are essential for securing the nation’s energy future and maintaining industrial competitiveness. Sรถder’s call comes amid ongoing debates about Germany’s energy โฃtransition and concerns over relianceโ on imported energy sources.
The proposal โaims to address growing anxieties about Germany’s economic standing,โ especially within itsโ crucial automotive sector.โฃ Sรถder contends thatโข an overreliance on electric vehicles, while important, risks โฃdismantlingโ the โคestablished combustion engine industry and jeopardizing thousands โขof jobs.He frames the move as a pragmatic step toward energyโ independence and a revitalized industrial โฃbase, โคoffering a potential solution to rising energy costs and supply vulnerabilities.
“Competitiveness must come first in Germany,” Sรถder stated, adding, “It is crucial that weโ stop restricting ourselves. We rely โขone-sidedlyโ on electric cars and overlook โขtheโค fact that we are โคdestroying the combustion engine and thus ourโ automobile industry. โขThousands of jobs are at risk.” He also reiterated hisโ support forโค utilizing existing gas reserves in northern Germany as an interim measure.
Sรถder’s advocacy for nuclear power represents โฃa departure from Germany’s current energy policy, which includes a planned โphase-out of nuclear energy. The move is likelyโค to โฃreignite debate over the safety and environmental implicationsโ of nuclear power, evenโข in its smaller, โmore modern SMR form. The discussion is expected toโ intensifyโข as Germany navigates theโ complexities of its โขenergyโ transition and seeks to balance environmental goals with economicโค realities.