Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck considers it necessary to operate the two southern German nuclear reactors over the winter given the current situation.
"As of today, I think it's necessary," said the Green politician on Tuesday evening in Berlin.
He referred to the situation in France, where many nuclear power plants cannot run due to maintenance work.
The situation there continued to deteriorate in view of the winter.
"Today I have to say that the data from France suggest that we will also call up the reserve." Then the Neckarwestheim 2 and Isar 2 nuclear power plants would have to run beyond the planned end at the end of the year. The final decision for Isar would have to be made in December at the latest 2 fall for technical reasons, for Neckarwestheim this is also possible at the beginning of the year.The nuclear power plants should run until mid-April 2023 at the latest.
Habeck is thus exercising the reserve option he had announced and has decided against a fundamental extension of the terms.
New fuel rods should not be used for this.
"Nuclear power is and will remain a high-risk technology," says Habeck, justifying the adherence to the nuclear phase-out.
The Emsland nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony will not be part of the reserve, but will be finally shut down as planned at the end of the year.
Habeck argues that there are fewer alternative nuclear power plants in southern Germany than in the north.
In an emergency, floating oil power plant ships are to be used to cover possible gaps in northern Germany.
However, the federal government had not yet made a final decision on Habeck's reserve proposal.
While Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) supported the proposal, the FDP advocated continued operation of the nuclear power plants.
“It is essential to increase capacities on the electricity market and thus lower the galloping prices.
The three safe nuclear power plants must continue to run,” Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
The opposition parties CDU and CSU also want all three nuclear power plants to continue operating
.