VZCZCXRO6820
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #0848 1951233
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141233Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4601
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0316
RUEHMZ/AMCONSUL MUNICH 2083

UNCLAS BERLIN 000848 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SENV EIND ENRG PGOV KGHG TRGY GM
SUBJECT: CDU PARLIAMENTARIANS CONSIDER FUTURE ENERGY 
TECHNOLOGIES 
 
REF: A. MUNICH 162 
     ¶B. HAMBURG 15 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  At a symposium on future technologies, the 
CDU/CSU parliamentary bloc outlined its energy policy 
priorities for the 2009 election year.  Support for solar and 
nuclear energy and questions about the future of coal power 
were voiced.  The symposium, held on June 30 in Berlin and 
hosted by the CDU aligned Konrad Adenauer Foundation, was 
attended by a small audience of representatives from the 
Federal States, universities, business community, and 
scientific institutions.  Speakers of note at the symposium 
included Katherina Reiche, Deputy Chairwoman of the Christian 
Democratic Union parliamentary bloc (CDU/CSU); Prof. Bernhard 
Hoffschmidt, Director of the Solar Institute in Juelich; and 
Dr. Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs, Deputy Director of the STE 
Research Institute Juelich.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CCS Questions Jeopardizing Future for Clean Coal 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The symposium speakers asserted support for future 
clean coal energy production, but cautioned that Germany is 
losing precious time with the recent failure to get 
legislation passed establishing a legal framework on Carbon 
Capture and Storage (CCS).  Although supportive of the coal 
industry, both Reiche and Dr. Kuckshinrichs admitted that 
questions regarding the efficiency of coal power plants 
utilizing CCS have made the issue more contentious of late 
and emphasized the need to gain public acceptance of CCS as a 
way forward. (COMMENT: EU legislation of CCS was passed at 
the end of 2008 and intended to be incorporated into domestic 
law by June 2009, but the legislation failed in the 
Bundestag.  END COMMENT)  Voicing disappointment over the 
law,s failure, Reiche blamed the "anti-coal fraction" within 
the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) for shooting the 
measure down. Dr. Kuckshinrichs said CCS is expected to 
decrease efficiency of coal plants by around 10 percent and 
he opined that associated installation and operating costs 
are so high that the price of carbon permits would need to 
double to break even. 
 
Solar Technology Draws Political Interest 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Reiche commented that Desertec (ref A), a proposed 
half trillion dollar project to harvest North African solar 
energy to supply Europe with electrical power, is promising, 
future-oriented, and worthy of funding.  Prof. Hoffschmidt 
said he supported Desertec technology in theory, but 
cautioned that the enormous amount of funding required is the 
biggest challenge.  Hoffschmidt showcased a German pilot 
plant near Juelich (North Rhine-Westphalia) as a technology 
demonsrator that uses a tower solar thermal concentrator 
configuration to generate up to 1.5 MW of power.  He claimed 
this technology is ready for mass production, but cautioned 
that research is still needed to realize full-scale 
commercialization. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Hoffschmidt pointed out that the core ideas of 
Desertec are already becoming reality, referring to a 
German-Algerian cooperative solar effort in Northern Africa 
which involves the construction of a five mega-Watt CSP 
plant.  Investment in the system began on April 15, 2009. 
Hoffschmidt emphasized that Germany is the world leader in 
solar technology and called for further investment in 
research to ensure that the country maintains its leadership 
position.  In addition, Hoffschmidt warned that Germany faces 
a severe shortage of qualified engineers, which may hinder 
technological development. 
 
The CDU Wants to Reset Germany on the Nuclear Path 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Reiche reaffirmed the CDU,s belief that nuclear 
energy can and should be relied upon to meet Germany,s 
increasing energy requirements and Kyoto targets.  She is 
hopeful that legislation will settle certain unsolved issues, 
such as the disposal of nuclear waste, and within the year 
smooth the way for investment in nuclear energy.  She 
observed that nations such as China and the USA are planning 
additional nuclear reactors, and held that Germany,s 
moratorium on nuclear energy is eroding its international 
commercial competitiveness in this field. 
Pollard