THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAST BREEDER IN LONG-TERM ENERGY SUPPLY

When employing the breeding process, nuclear power represents an energy potential many times surpassing all fossil reserves and able to supply mankind with non-polluting energy at tolerable prices for many centuries. Consequently, the breeder must be considered in the light of global and long term aspects. The termination of the fast breeder reactor in Kalkar again has raised the question of the need for breeder reactor technology. First and foremost, it is striking to see that the political forces which decidedly did not want the Kalkar Nuclear Power Station ever to start operation are in no way able to present consistent energy policy concepts demonstrating the possibility to do without breeder reactors. So, this step alone would not be a valid reason for re-examining the usefulness of the breeder. However, it does raise the question again, after the conflict in the Gulf region, whether this country is at all able to contribute to solutions for the major problems facing mankind in the future.