Germany puts two nuclear plants on standby in energy U-turn

BERLIN

Germany has said it would keep two nuclear plants on standby beyond the end of the year in a policy U-turn, as the shut-off of Russian gas supplies sends Europe scrambling for energy sources.    

Following a new network stress test, two of the three remaining power plants would “remain available until mid-April 2023 in case needed”, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement.    

The move partly delays a nuclear exit planned under former chancellor Angela Merkel.    

The plants would be kept in reserve to potentially “make a further contribution to the electricity grid in southern Germany”, where the development of renewable power was lagging the north.    

Habeck said such a crisis was still “extremely unlikely” and assured that Germany had a “very high security of supply”.    

The Green minister also underlined that Germany was not wavering from its plan to move on from nuclear energy, with all plants being unplugged from the grid at the end of the year.     

“New fuel rods will not be put in and after mid-April 2023 it is also over for the reserve,” Habeck said.    

“War and the climate crisis are having a very concrete impact,” Habeck said, referring to a summer drought that has dried up Germany’s rivers and impeded fuel transport.        

The move is especially sensitive for Habeck, whose Green party has its roots in the anti-nuclear movement.     

But Germany has already moved to restart mothballed coal power plants and fill gas storage ahead of the winter to guard against an energy shortfall.