The last nuclear power plants in Germany go offline.
Will the end of nuclear power affect electricity supply and electricity prices?
Frankfurt – After more than 60 years of nuclear power, Germany is shutting down its last three nuclear power plants.
On Saturday evening (April 15), the Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg are to be finally taken off the grid after an extension of the service life.
The extension last year was necessary to guarantee sufficient power supply over the winter.
But what will the situation look like in terms of power supply and electricity prices in the future?
nuclear power plants | Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg |
Shutdown date | April 15, 2023 |
Percentage of total power supply | About five percent |
Nuclear power off for Germany: power supply without nuclear power not endangered
According to a statement by the federal government with reference to reports by the Federal Network Agency, the remaining nuclear power plants only account for around five percent of electricity production in Germany.
An Enervis study also confirms the increasingly minor role played by nuclear power: Between November 2022 and April 2023, the electricity generated by the three nuclear power plants fell to around 12.2 terawatt hours of electricity.
That is about 30 percent less than in comparable periods of the last five years.
"The already throttled power generation of the three reactors could have been replaced at any time by available gas-fired power plants," explains study leader Tim Höfer from Enervis.
The concern that the power supply could be endangered by switching off the remaining nuclear power plants is therefore unfounded.
As the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Ministry of Economics emphasize, Germany has sufficient guaranteed power plant capacity that will cover the demand for electricity even after nuclear power has ended.
Environmental and resource economist Andreas Loechel also assured
tagesschau24
that there was “no need to worry”.
"The lights will not go out." It must nevertheless be clear that the situation is getting worse.
Germany's AKW-Aus: Even in winter no bottlenecks despite switched off nuclear power plants
For this reason, not switching off the last three nuclear power plants in Germany - as required by the Union, for example - is nonsensical from the point of view of climate experts.
“In view of the small benefit for our energy supply, current demands for renewed service life extensions are dubious and even dangerous.
Nuclear reactors involve high risks, which are even increasing in view of military conflicts in Europe," says Heinz Smital, nuclear expert at the environmental protection organization Greenpeace.
Green Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke also sees the shutdown of nuclear power plants as an important step towards an energy transition.
"The nuclear phase-out makes our country safer, the risks of nuclear power are ultimately unmanageable," said Lemke.
Fears of power shortages in the winter of 2023/24 are unfounded, despite increasing demand in the cold season, as the federal government emphasizes.
Gas imports, which were previously available to Germany from Russia, will then come from several countries.
As a result of the energy crisis, Germany was recently supplied with electricity from Norway and the Netherlands.
At the same time, the demand for gas is steadily decreasing.
AKW-Aus: Rising electricity prices in Germany are not to be expected even without nuclear power
Rising electricity prices in Germany are not to be expected after the nuclear power plant.
“The market players have already adjusted to the new situation.
Electricity is already being traded for the coming weeks and months, and there are no signs of price increases on the markets," says energy market expert Christina Wallraf from the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center.
A short-term increase in electricity prices for household customers need not be feared either.
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Water vapor rises from the cooling tower of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant in Essenbach near Landshut, which is now being switched off.
© Armin Weigel/dpa
According to the comparison portal Verivox, switching off could still make itself felt in the medium to long term.
"Here it will depend on how quickly the expansion of renewables progresses and how well the missing capacities can be compensated." "She told the broadcaster MDR Aktuell.
“Wind and sun, we always get them for free.
We need the systems and the grids, and that's why that's the decisive factor." Despite the nuclear phase-out, she expects electricity prices to fall in the future.
(tt)
List of rubrics: © Armin Weigel/dpa