Germany's Greens rule out new fuel rods purchase as nuclear debate hits impasse

"If we bought new fuel rods now, that would mean long-term investments in nuclear power," Lang was quoted as saying by Der Spiegel magazine, adding that buying new fuel rods was a red line for her party. The Greens are in Germany's ruling coalition with Scholz's Social Democrats and the pro-market Free Democrats.

The co-leader of Germany's Greens party, Ricarda Lang, ruled out buying new fuel rods for longer operation of the country's remaining nuclear power plants, as discussions over the scope of the plants' lifespan extension reached an impasse. Germany had planned to complete a phase-out of nuclear power by the end of this year, but a collapse in energy supplies from Russia because of the war in Ukraine has prompted the government to keep two plants on standby until next April.

Members of the government, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, scheduled a call with the operators of the plants on Thursday to solve the crunch, sources told Reuters, after Berlin failed to approve a draft law to put the two plants on reserve beyond their planned phase-out. "If we bought new fuel rods now, that would mean long-term investments in nuclear power," Lang was quoted as saying by Der Spiegel magazine, adding that buying new fuel rods was a red line for her party.

The Greens are in Germany's ruling coalition with Scholz's Social Democrats and the pro-market Free Democrats. The Free Democrats party, which runs the finance ministry, is pushing to extend the plants' lifetime until 2024 and to purchase new fuel rods, but the Greens, a party that grew out of the 1970s anti-nuclear movement, is completely against it.

The economy ministry declined to confirm Thursday's meeting or give further information on where the talks currently are.

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