Robert Habeck’s ministry has announced a new stress test. Depending on the result, nuclear power plants could run longer than planned.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The federal government could decide to continue operating the three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany beyond the end of the year.
A government spokeswoman said on Monday in Berlin that the issue of nuclear power plants had not been an ideological issue for the federal government from the start, but a purely technical one. She referred to an announced second stress test on the security of the electricity supply. “That is the basis of decisions.”
A spokeswoman for Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said that decisions would be made on the basis of facts and analyses. There is now the second stress test calculation that is being made to sound out other scenarios. The first calculation had already made very strict assumptions. “But still, we’ll calculate again and then decide on the basis of clear facts.”
Economy Ministry announces stress test
The Ministry of Economics announced a second stress test on the security of the power supply in Germany on Sunday. The point is to determine whether the security of supply in the electricity sector and the secure operation of the grid are guaranteed under more stringent assumptions. Results can be expected “in the next few weeks”.
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According to current law, the three nuclear power plants Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2 must be shut down by December 31, 2022 at the latest. Economics Minister Habeck and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) had advised against longer operating times for nuclear power plants in a test report in March.
>> Read here: Coalition dispute over longer nuclear lifespans continues to smolder
It was said at the time that a small contribution to the energy supply would be opposed to major economic, legal and safety risks. The extension of the term was examined in the spring. It doesn’t help in the gas crisis because the systems produce electricity.
The Union and the traffic light party FDP had recently campaigned to extend the nuclear power plant run times. The two parties are warning of an electricity crisis next winter and rising prices.
More: FDP and CDU fight for longer use of nuclear power – sharp reaction from the Ministry of the Environment