On April 16 at midnight, the operation of nuclear power plants in Germany will come to a complete halt. The Irsching 2, Neckarwestheim 2, and Emsland nuclear power plants, which were temporarily extended due to the energy supply crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after having to shut down the power last year, will be shut down. No new nuclear power plants will be built, marking the beginning of the “nuclear phase-out era.”
Since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the German political arena has reached an agreement on phasing out nuclear power earlier, but concerns and oppositions have been raised as the “D-day” approaches. The following summarizes the key points of contention based on German media outlets such as Tagesschau.
â‘ Real Nuclear Phase-out? “Pre-operational Testing Needed” vs. “Impossible”
There are still doubts about whether Germany is really phasing out nuclear power. Last year, Prime Minister Olaf Scholz extended the operation of three nuclear power plants by exercising his authority, so the possibility of reversing the decision cannot be ruled out. Some argue that it is better to suspend the operation for a while, preparing for unforeseen circumstances such as energy shortages. The Free Democratic Party, which operates the coalition government together, takes the position that “at least it should be maintained in a pre-operational state.”
However, the government’s determination to phase out nuclear power seems resolute. Robert Habeck, Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economic Climate Protection, who belongs to the Green Party, firmly stated that it was an “irreversible decision.” He also stated that “nuclear power plant operators are not interested in building new ones because they are not economically viable.”
â‘¡ Is It Safe to Phase Out Nuclear Power? “Concerns about Energy Shortages” vs. “No Problem”
Concerns about potential energy supply disruptions still persist. As of the first quarter of last year, the energy supply of the three nuclear power plants accounted for about 6% of Germany’s total energy supply. Peter Adrian, President of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said in Rheinische Post that “although natural gas prices have fallen, energy costs borne by companies are still high. Germany has not yet achieved energy supply stability.” There are also concerns that the closure of nuclear power plants will increase the operation of coal-fired power plants and undermine efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
However, the government stated that there would be “no problem” with energy supply since it is building an LNG terminal and expanding renewable energy production, according to Deputy Chancellor Habeck.
â‘¢ Significant Challenges… Where to Dispose of Radioactive Waste? How to Utilize the Sites?
After shutting down the nuclear power plants, a high-level radioactive waste disposal site to dispose of the spent nuclear fuel will be needed, but even a site has not yet been identified. In the 1970s, Gorleben in northern Germany was selected as a site, but it is still in a wait-and-see state after large-scale protests. While low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste such as clothing and gloves will be processed at low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste treatment facilities, which are relatively easier to construct, a concrete plan for the high-level radioactive waste disposal site has not been made.