Because France’s nuclear power plants could supply less electricity than expected, the Economics Minister assumes that Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim will be needed by spring 2023 – “as of now”. Environmentalists protest.
The two nuclear power plants in southern Germany, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2, are apparently to remain connected to the grid in the first quarter of next year. The reason is that French nuclear power plants will probably be able to supply less electricity in January and February next year than recently assumed, said Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) on Tuesday evening in Berlin. “If these forecasts are not reversed, then I have to say today that Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim will probably remain online in the first quarter of 2023,” said Habeck. “As of today,” he considers it necessary to continue operation.
So far, Habeck had avoided any predetermination. Just over three weeks ago, he had presented a plan with which the two nuclear power plants should only be kept available as an emergency reserve, and that at the latest until mid-April next year. They should only help to stabilize the southern German grid in the event of bottlenecks on the European electricity market. A third power plant, Emsland in Lower Saxony, is scheduled to be shut down on December 31st. According to the current legal situation, the operating time for all German nuclear power plants will then expire.
The operators of Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 should now make all the preparations for longer operation. Habeck agreed on corresponding “key points” with the operating companies on Tuesday. In the case of Isar 2 in Bavaria, this also means that a valve leak that only became public last week must be repaired by the end of October. Unlike previously planned, the nuclear power plant near Landshut would then not run until mid-April, but “probably until the beginning of March 2023”, as the key points say.
The operator of Isar 2 still had doubts recently
Longer operation requires a four to six-week revision and is therefore “not sensible” from the ministry’s point of view. The Isar 2 operator Preussen Elektra had recently expressed doubts about the feasibility of reserve operation. These doubts no longer appear in the key points.
Most recently, the FDP in particular had increased the pressure on Habeck to extend the runtimes of the nuclear power plants – well beyond April 2023. FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr had suggested “combining” the decision on nuclear terms with the one on a gas price brake. Habeck rejects this as “improper linkage”. “We shouldn’t do any tie-in deals,” he said on Tuesday.
The final decision on the further operation of the two nuclear power plants should now be made by early December at the latest – provided that the coalition changes the laws beforehand. There is still resistance to the reserve operation, especially in the Greens parliamentary group. Environmentalists also criticized Habeck’s initiative. The federal government has done too little to save energy in all areas, said environmental aid boss Sascha Müller-Kraenner. “But it is now ready to quickly end the nuclear phase-out that has been achieved for decades.” For safety reasons alone, the federal government should stick to the exit.