Germany to extend life of three nuclear plants until April 2023

• 1 year, 6 months ago (2022-10-18)
• David Flin

Europe 1061 Nuclear 640

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has instructed the economy, environment, and finance ministries to prepare the legal framework to keep the country’s three remaining nuclear power plants operational until April 2023.

Germany had planned to complete a phase-out of nuclear power by the end of this year, but a collapse in energy supplies from Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted the government to rethink.

Lengthy disagreements within the ruling coalition government delayed implementation of a draft law to put two plants on reserve beyond their planned phase-out at the end of this year. As well as Isar II and Neckarwestheim II plants included in the draft law, Finance Minister Christian Lindner has pushed to include the Emsland plant in those remaining operational beyond the end of the year.

The three plants have a combined capacity of 4300 MW.

Scholz said: “I would ask that the relevant proposed regulations be presented to the cabinet as soon as possible as part of the distribution of responsibilities.” He also requested that the ministries present an “ambitious” law to increase energy efficiency and put into law an agreement to phase out coal by 2030.