Germany to Delay Closure of Two Nuclear-Power Plants as Energy Crisis Bites
Berlin breaks domestic political taboo about postponing its longstanding nuclear phaseout after Russia shut down gas supplies
BERLIN—Germany will keep two of its three remaining nuclear-power plants online past their December shutdown deadline in an effort to buttress its power supply after Russia halted gas flows, the government said Monday.
The decision, earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal, is a compromise between members of a government that includes nuclear-energy supporters and the Greens, a party that was born from the antinuclear movement.
The move, which will require new legislation and a vote in parliament, marks the latest policy U-turn for Germany, which has for decades pursued a policy of simultaneously phasing out nuclear power, coal and—soon—gas in a bid to transition Europe’s biggest economy to renewable energy.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February prompted Germany to increase military spending after decades of underinvestment, to deliver weapons to Ukraine despite a longstanding ban on supplying weapons to conflict zones, and to reopen coal- and oil-fueled power plants despite a commitment to reducing climate-warming CO2 emissions.
Two nuclear-power plants in the south of the country—Isar 2 in the state of Bavaria and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Wurttemberg, which are operated by E.ON SE and EnBW AG , respectively—will remain online until April, instead of being switched off in December as intended under a 2011 plan. A third will be shut down and replaced by oil-powered plants, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said.
“Nuclear energy is and will remain a highly risky technology, and its highly radioactive waste will burden countless future generations,” Mr. Habeck, a Green leader, said. “There is no playing with nuclear energy.”
Nuclear power plays a marginal role in Germany’s energy mix, contributing 6% of all power generated in the country in the first quarter of the year, according to government figures—down from more than 12% over the same period last year, when Germany had twice as many nuclear-power plants.
Still, Mr. Habeck unveiled the decision after an expert analysis of the power grid he had commissioned showed that Germany might need the extra power provided by the plants under certain scenarios. This is especially the case for the south of the country, which is home to some of Germany’s largest businesses but whose grid is poorly connected with northern Germany’s numerous wind farms.
Germany’s European Union neighbors, as well as the bloc’s executive body, have called on Berlin to extend the life of its nuclear plants to stem the crisis caused by the economic confrontation with Russia.
Mr. Habeck ruled out extending the life of the two plants after April. No new nuclear fuel would be purchased for the extension, he said, and the plants would run on their existing fuel.
The decision could still create tension in the government. Christian Lindner, finance minister and leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, said Monday that the nuclear plants should remain online at least until 2024, when Germany is expected to start receiving gas exports from Gulf states and the U.S.
While Germany’s nuclear phaseout has enjoyed cross-party backing for years, opinion polls in recent months have shown broad support for extending the lives of the country’s last nuclear-power plants, and even a majority for restarting recently decommissioned plants.