Of
Heiner Effern
The city is clearing the way for the Isar 2 nuclear power plant to run for a longer period of time. The reason is the uncertain gas supplies from Russia. “That’s why the supervisory board of Stadtwerke München decided today, based on my suggestion, that I approach the federal government and ask them to create the legal requirements for a so-called stretching operation for the Isar 2 nuclear power plant,” said Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD). .
Stretching operation means that fuel elements that have already been used continue to be used until they have reached the end of their technical life. The city could count on nuclear power by the middle of next year. According to current planning, the kiln must be shut down by the end of 2022.
The CSU has been pushing for months
The Greens in Munich had already announced their about-face before Mayor Reiter’s announcement. “Should the stress test of the Federal Ministry of Economics reveal that Munich is threatened with a shortage in the power supply, a stretching operation of Isar 2 should not be taboo,” said the second mayor Katrin habenschaden. “In view of the information available to us, we therefore consider it necessary in the currently very tense supply situation to check whether a stretching operation can contribute to relaxation,” said Green Party leader Dominik Krause.
The CSU in the town hall has been pushing for this for many months with several applications. So far in vain. The city has an important say in extending the term because it owns 25 percent of the shares in the nuclear power plant near Landshut. The Greens, like Lord Mayor Reiter, reject any longer operation than until the middle of next year with new fuel elements to be procured.