Status: 05.09.2022 6:49 p.m
Despite the energy crisis, the German nuclear power plants should no longer produce electricity on a regular basis. However, two nuclear power plants will remain connected to the grid as an emergency reserve until April 2023. This is the result of a stress test.
Two of the three remaining German nuclear power plants should be available as an emergency reserve for the power supply by next spring. This is the result of a stress test presented by Economics Minister Robert Habeck in Berlin. Accordingly, the two power plants Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg and Isar 2 in Bavaria should form an “operational reserve until mid-April 2023”. The third remaining Emsland power plant is to be completely shut down as planned by December 31st.
Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 as reserve
However, the two nuclear power plants Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 should “in certain stressful situations in the power grid be able to make an additional contribution to the tense supply and grid situation in southern Germany identified in the stress test in winter 2022/23”, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. “New fuel elements are not loaded and in mid-April 2023 the reserve will also be over,” explained Habeck.
The reason given by the ministry is that nuclear power remains a high-risk technology and that high-level radioactive waste will burden future generations. “A general service life extension would therefore not be justifiable with regard to the safety status of the nuclear power plants,” said Habeck. Therefore, an extension of the term is out of the question. The phase-out of nuclear power, as regulated in the Atomic Energy Act, will therefore be retained.
“Very high security of supply in the electricity system”
The second Stress test carried out by the network operators 50Hertz, TenneT, Amplion and TransnetBW on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics come to the conclusion “that crisis situations in the electricity system in the winter of 22/23 are very unlikely, but cannot be completely ruled out at the moment”. Germany has a “very high security of supply in the electricity system”.
In the course of the Russian attack on Ukraine, which massively increased the price of electricity and caused bottlenecks, especially with gas, voices after a nuclear power plant runtime extension had become louder and louder. The FDP, which is part of the government, had also campaigned for the continued operation of the nuclear power plants. FDP boss and Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner called today for the continued operation of the three nuclear power plants that are still producing.
Union wants full nuclear power
Union faction leader Friedrich Merz criticized the decision in advance. “It makes no sense now to talk about reserve, stand-by operations or anything like that,” said Merz, who is also CDU chairman, before a meeting of CDU/CSU MPs in Berlin. Rather, it should now read: “Full speed ahead of all three nuclear power plants. Including new fuel rods, so that these nuclear power plants can possibly remain on the grid for three to four years until we have this crisis behind us.”