Germany will permanently shut down its final three commercial nuclear power reactors this weekend, making good on the country’s delayed nuclear phaseout even amid Europe’s energy crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and last-minute appeals for reactor lifetimes to be extended.
The Isar-2, Neckarwestheim-2 and Emsland plants make up some 6% of the country’s total energy mix – down from almost 12% in 2021 when more units were operating – or roughly 4,055 MW (net) of capacity.
All three plants will be shut down on 15 April under the extended timeline proposed last autumn by Germany’s governing coalition.
The final three reactors had been scheduled for closure at the end of 2022 along with the rest of the country’s nuclear fleet.
In October, however, German chancellor Olaf Scholz proposed to extend their lifespan until mid-April, citing the supply concerns caused by the war and the resulting Western sanctions.