Germany is extending the activity of its last three nuclear power plants until April 2023, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced, a decision postponing the end of this energy source, originally planned for the end of this year.
The decision also modifies the plan announced by the economy and climate protection minister, ecologist Robert Habeck, who said last September that two of these plants would remain in reserve, while the third would be shut down as planned by the end of this year.
The decision, announced by the head of government in a letter to the Ministries of Economy, Finance and Environment, follows the tripartite agreement between Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals on an expansion of nuclear power plant activity in the light of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
“Legal bases will be created to allow the operation of the Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland nuclear power plants,” reads a letter from the chancellor to members of his government.
The decision represents another change in the timetable of Germany’s nuclear ‘blackout’, first promoted by Social Democratic Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in 2000, with the Greens as allies, and reinstated in 2011 by conservative Angela Merkel, in imitation of the Japanese city of Fukushima.
With the current energy crisis, Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) began to consider extending the existence of the last three plants, depending on the country’s energy situation, while the liberals also asked for a share of the to reactivate already closed factories.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany has accelerated its energy dependence on Moscow.
In February 55% of total gas imports came from that country, now the percentage is 9%, after being replaced by transfers mainly from Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium.
German gas reserves are already above 95% of capacity, a level expected to be reached in early November to ensure the necessary supplies in the winter months.
Source: DN
