Germany to Shut Down Oldest Nuclear Power Stations

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Germany's government has ordered the shutdown of eight older nuclear plants in the wake of the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant. The impact of the disaster on the European nuclear industry has been felt all week, and the decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel to shut down plants built in 1980 or before for three months comes as anti-nuclear protests in Germany grow.

"If the seemingly impossible can happen in such a highly developed country like Japan, then the situation has changed," Merkel told parliament. "There's a fundamental rule: when in doubt, opt for safety." For related news, see March 15, 2011, article - Europe Faces Backlash After Explosions at Japanese Nuclear Plants.

The reactors being shut are Biblis-A, Biblis-B, Isar 1, Unterweser, Brunsbuttel, Neckarwestheim 1, and Phillipsburg 1. Kruemmel, which was built in 1984 but is already shut down, also has been added to the list. The plants have a combined generation capacity of more than 8,300 megawatts (MW) and are responsible for supplying more than 6% of the country's electricity needs.

Germany's nuclear power operators offered their support for Chancellor Merkel's decision.

"There can be no doubt that the events in Japan are a critical moment for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and for the debate on the safety of nuclear power stations in Europe," said Johannes Teyssen, E.ON's CEO. "Germany's Chancellor has already said as much, and I wholeheartedly concur with her assessment. In this context, we also fully understand the government's decision to impose a three-month moratorium on its plans to extend the life of Germany's nuclear power plants. Clearly, this is intended to send a signal that in light of the events in Japan, it is simply not possible to go back to 'business as usual.'"

Officials at RWE, which operates the Biblis A and B reactors, commented: "We have taken note of the German government's wish to take seven power units off the grid. We will discuss the technical and economic consequences with the German federal government. We will immediately introduce measures to shut down our Biblis Block A power unit in order to be able to carry out the required safety inspections. The Biblis Block B power unit has already been shut down for inspection purposes since February 25, 2011."

Energy companies estimate the economic impact of their power being taken offline at up to 2 billion euros ($2.83 billion), which will reduce the amount the German government can collect from them under its new nuclear fuel rod tax by hundreds of millions of euro.

Earlier this week, Switzerland's government decided to halt the approvals process for two proposed nuclear plants over safety concerns. For related news, see March 16, 2011, article - Switzerland Halts Nuclear Plant Programme.

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