energy crisis in Germany
Habeck wants to keep two nuclear plants running until April 2023
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Habeck considers it necessary to continue the operation of Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim
Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck considers it necessary to continue operating the two nuclear power plants Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim in the first quarter of 2023. Habeck has agreed with the operators of the two nuclear power plants on a concept for back-up operation.
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According to Economy Minister Robert Habeck, the Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 nuclear power plants are expected to continue operating until the end of the year. The reason for this is the gap in French nuclear energy.
Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck considers it necessary to operate the two southern German nuclear reactors Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 during the winter, given the current situation. “From today, I think it’s necessary,” the green politician said Tuesday night in Berlin. He referred to the situation in France, where many nuclear power plants cannot function due to maintenance work.
The situation there continued to deteriorate due to the winter. “Today I must say that the data from France suggests that we are going to call the reserve,” said Habeck. “As the minister responsible for energy security, I have to say: if this development is not reversed, we will leave Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim on the grid in the first quarter of 2023.”
For technical reasons, the final decision for Isar 2 must be taken no later than December, for Neckarwestheim this is also possible at the beginning of the year. Nuclear power plants must be operational by mid-April 2023 at the latest. The details of the longer terms were intensively negotiated with operators, Habeck said. Agreed on key points that are the basis for legal changes to be decided by the end of October.
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According to the key points, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 must be transferred to an operational reserve after the end of their regular life on December 31st. They are therefore ready to avoid an imminent bottleneck in the electrical grid in southern Germany. To enable the booking, operators would “immediately start whatever was needed”.
All applicable safety regulations would be observed, Habeck said. The necessary law is, however, being “rapidly rolled out”. In addition, the situation in the German and European electrical system is being closely monitored. “Overall, Germany has a high level of security of supply in the electricity sector, but the situation must always be seen in conjunction with its European neighbors.”
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In fact, as part of the nuclear decommissioning, the last three nuclear plants are due to be decommissioned by the end of the year. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, this should continue to apply to the Lingen reactor in Emsland. In early September, Habeck announced the plan for the so-called operational reserve for the two nuclear plants in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
Kretschmann considers the continued operation of Neckarwestheim correct
The Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, believes that the likely continuity of operation of the two German nuclear plants is correct. The Greens politician called Habeck’s cornerstones “a coherent and binding calendar”. This is exactly what is appropriate in the current difficult situation to avoid a bottleneck in the electrical grid in southern Germany. “He has my full support on this path,” said Kretschmann. Energy supplier EnBW is now preparing its Neckarwestheim II nuclear power plant in the district of Heilbronn for possible operation by 15 April next year at the latest.
Kretschmann said the decision created “anticipated clarity for operators and security for citizens”. Habeck rightly emphasized “that the procedure is urgently necessary in view of the current situation and forecasts for the production of electricity by French nuclear plants and that the continuity of operation is necessary according to the current status”.
According to EnBW, the furnace will initially shut down on December 31. If the federal government decides that more electricity production is needed at Neckarwestheim, the plant’s reactor core will be reassembled with existing partially used fuel elements and restarted, EnBW explained. That should guarantee electricity production of up to 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, he said.
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