Habeck does not want to stop nuclear power plants prematurely after restarting

Created: 09/05/2022, 20:59

Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Economics Minister Robert Habeck intends to keep the two southern German nuclear power plants running as reserve power plants in the event they are called upon and not switch them off until mid-April.

"If the decision is made that the nuclear power plants are needed, then they will be needed," said the Green politician on Monday in Berlin.

They then ran until the fuel elements were used up or until the end date was reached.

Berlin - The restart will take about a week.

Habeck also commented on why he does not want a transfer to the network reserve for the Emsland nuclear power plant operated by RWE.

This nuclear power plant could make a certain contribution.

"But this contribution is too small compared to the two southern German power plants."

The chairman of the transmission system operator 50 Hertz, Stefan Kapferer, explained for the four transmission system operators that a bundle of measures had been proposed with regard to network security.

"We proposed to keep all three nuclear power plants running, but the minister correctly explained that the function of the two southern German power plants is significantly different from that of the power plant in Lingen." The network operators also see it that way.

"And that's why it's a political decision how to deal with the knowledge of the different function of the two in the south compared to Lingen."

The energy company RWE initially did not want to comment on Habeck's plans in the evening.

First you want to look at the documents carefully, said a spokesman in Essen.

dpa