Germany should not extend the life of its remaining nuclear power plants, two ministries said on Tuesday, as Europe's largest economy wrestles with its dependence on Russian energy imports following the invasion of Ukraine.

An extension for the country's three remaining installations, which are due to be switched off at the end of the year, was "not advisable even in light of the current gas crisis", a report from the economy and environment ministries said.

Keeping the plants running would not help tackle a crunch at the end of this year, when demand will be highest, and would only see electricity supplies rise "from autumn 2023 at the soonest".

Increased output from nuclear sites would "barely substitute" the need for gas, which is used to heat businesses and homes as well as for generating electricity.

An extension would face significant administrative hurdles and would need to last "minimum three-to-five years", the report said.

Gas makes up over a quarter of Germany's energy mix, with the country importing more than half of those supplies via pipelines from Russia.

The invasion of Ukraine has accelerated a move away from dependence on Russia, with the government announcing increased investments in renewables and LNG terminals for gas imports form overseas.

The potential shortfall has also led to speculation that Germany could make longer use of its existing nuclear power plants.

Under former chancellor Angela Merkel, the country decided to speed up its exit from nuclear power in 2011, following the Fukushima disaster in Japan.

Three plants were decommissioned at the end of 2021, while the final three are set to be switched of at the end of this year.

Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

IAEA reports second Ukraine nuclear facility damaged
Vienna (AFP) March 8, 2022
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday it has received reports of artillery shells damaging a nuclear research facility in Ukraine's besieged second city Kharkiv, but there was no "radiological consequence". The Vienna-based UN body said Ukrainian authorities reported an attack took place on Sunday, adding that no increase in radiation levels had been reported at the site. Because the site's "inventory of radioactive material is very low" and kept at a "subcritical" state, the IAEA s ... read more