The situation on the French electricity market is developing worse than expected. The German Economics Minister is now preparing to let two German nuclear power plants continue to run in the first quarter.
Robert Habeck wants to leave German nuclear power plants online.
The Green German Economics Minister Robert Habeck is gradually approaching temporary continued operation of two of the three nuclear power plants that are still in operation in Germany. Three weeks ago he announced that the two systems Isar 2 in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim in Baden-Württemberg would go off the grid as planned at the end of the year, but would remain available until mid-April as a kind of emergency reserve. On Wednesday evening he explained to the media that “as of today” he considers it necessary to keep Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim connected to the network in the first quarter of 2023.
French stress test
Habeck justifies this by saying that the data from France have continued to fall in recent weeks. He referred to a French stress test by the local transmission system operator, the results of which are now available. According to this, the output of the French nuclear power plants is expected to be so low for the winter that the use of the two German nuclear power plants is necessary for grid stability. “If this development is not reversed, we will leave Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim online in the first quarter of 2023,” said Habeck.
A final decision should be made later this year. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Habeck agreed on a concept for the operational reserve with the operators of the two nuclear power plants, the energy companies E.On and EnBW. This should also form the basis for the legislative process that is still necessary.
Emsland is eliminated
According to the previous decisions on the German nuclear phase-out, all three remaining nuclear power plants should have been shut down by the end of the year – in addition to the two plants mentioned, there is a third one in Emsland, Lower Saxony. Now only Emsland will probably go offline.