Germany was to say goodbye to nuclear power at the end of the year. It paved the way on Tuesday for the extension this winter of the activity of its last two nuclear power plants, in a context of energy shortages orchestrated by Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. At the beginning of September, the German Minister of Economy and Climate, the ecologist Robert Habeck had already returned to the definitive closure of two of the country’s three reactors scheduled for the end of 2022. It was then a question of keeping them “on standby”. until spring 2023 and to use them only as a last resort, in the event of an energy emergency.
But Berlin is now going further, saying that the situation in its French neighbor, which has always made nuclear power a major source of its supply, “was not good and has deteriorated considerably in recent weeks”. As at the beginning of September, it was Robert Habeck, also vice-chancellor, who had the task of announcing this decision.
To ensure the energy supply in Germany, the Isar 2 power plant (in Bavaria, near Munich) and that of Neckarwestheim (in Baden-Württemberg, neighboring Alsace) “will probably remain connected in the first quarter of 2023”, in because of “the worse than expected situation in France”, he said at a press conference.
In France, the situation “worse than expected”
“As minister responsible for energy security (…) I consider it necessary,” added Robert Habeck. A difficult position because his party, the Greens, has always fought against the atom in a country that has long been opposed to this form of energy.
Some 25 reactors – out of the 56 in the French fleet – are unavailable due to maintenance operations or corrosion problems. EDF has promised their gradual restart by February. Therefore, “there is a lack of electricity volumes, which Germany partly compensates with electricity from gas-fired power plants”, explained the Ministry of Economics in Berlin.
Based on the electricity scenarios for the winter, presented by France on September 14, Robert Habeck estimated that the situation was worse than what had been expected so far. Driving the point home, he affirmed that “in the past, the assertions of the operator EDF had often proved to be too positive”.
The Liberals see this as a “concession”
The Green Party is under pressure from the Liberals (FDP), the third party in the ruling coalition. Liberal parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr welcomed the economy minister’s announcement: “It’s a step in the right direction,” he told the Funke media group. “It’s heartening to see the Greens moving in the right direction,” he added.
This concession is a new blow for the environmental minister, whose frictions with his finance colleague, the liberal Christian Lindner, are more and more obvious. The latter is also asking him to repeal a new tax on gas due to come into force on 1 October. This tax, which would add several hundred euros to household bills, must be paid to gas importers to help them bear the exorbitant prices of purchases intended to replace Russian gas.
Increased use of coal
Nuclear power currently produces 6% of net electricity production in Germany. The nuclear phase-out schedule was decided by Angela Merkel after the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011. Faced with the threat of an energy shortage this winter, the German government has already decided on increased use of coal, a particularly polluting energy.
As in other EU countries, the rise in prices is fueling public concern and calls for demonstrations, mainly at the initiative of the far right or the far left, are worrying the German government.