Nuclear power in Germany: Germany is slowly phasing out nuclear power, but environmental or political pressure could force the government to build new nuclear power plants to be less dependent on coal.
Here is an overview of nuclear reactors currently (2023) in operation in Germany, as well as German guidelines on nuclear energy in Germany.
Germany was once a leader in nuclear research, but has been dismantling its nuclear power plants for several years. The increasing demand for clean energy and pressure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions could force the German government to rethink.
Nuclear power plants still in operation (2023) :
In January 2023, only three nuclear power plants will still be active in Germany, which will be shut down by 15 April 2023 at the latest in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act.
Isar 2 (KKI 2) - Bavaria
Gross output: 1485 MWe
Commissioning: 15.01.1988
Commercial operation: 09.04.1988
Emsland (KKE) - Lower Saxony
Gross output: 1400 MWe
Commissioning: 14.04.1988
Commercial operation: 20/06/1988
Neckarwestheim 2 (GKN 2) - Baden-Württemberg
Gross output: 1400 MWe
Commissioning: 29.12.1988
Commercial operation: 15.04.1989
Nuclear power plants that were still in operation in 2008 :
The reactors operating in 2008 produced almost a third of the energy required for Germany.
Below are the 17 nuclear power plants with their net capacity in megawatts of electricity (MWe), the year of commissioning and the year of planned decommissioning.
Boiling water reactors (SWR)
Boiling water reactors, explanation in brief
No heat exchanger
the water from the nuclear reactor goes to the turbines
Simpler design and greater risk of contamination
Current reactors in operation:
Brunsbüttel: 771 MWe, 1977 - 2009
Gundremmingen-B: 1.284 MWe, 1984 - 2016
Gundremmingen-C: 1.288 MWe, 1985 - 2016
Isar-1: 878 MWe, 1979 - 2011
Krümmel: 1,260 MWe, 1984 - 2016
Philippsburg-1: 890 MWe, 1980 - 2012
Pressurised water reactors (PWR)
Pressurised water reactors, explanation in brief
uses heat exchangers
the water that passes through the nuclear reactor remains in the closed control loop
the vapour in the turbines does not come into contact with the fuel lines
Reactors in operation (2008) :
Biblis-A: 1.167 MWe, 1975 - 2008
Biblis-B: 1,240 MWe, 1977 - 2009/2011
Brokdorf: 1, 370 MWe, 1986 - 2019
Emsland: 1.329 MWe, 1988 - 2021
Grafenrheinfeld: 1.275 MWe, 1982 - 2014
Grohnde: 1,360 MWe, 1985 - 2017
Philippsburg-2): 1, 392 MWe, 1985 - 2018
Instructor: 1,345 MWe, 1979 - 2012
Neckarwestheim-1: 785 MWe, 1976 - 2009
Neckarwestheim-2: 1.305 MWe, 1989 - 2022
Isar-2: 1,400 MWe, 1988 - 2020
Guidelines for nuclear energy in Germany:
Originally in favour of nuclear energy in Germany, the SPD submitted a resolution after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 to abolish nuclear energy within the next 10 years. In 1998, the red-green coalition (SPD and The Greens) decided to amend this resolution to the effect that the production of nuclear energy in Germany should be gradually phased out.
In 2001, the government and several energy companies agreed to limit the operating life of existing nuclear power plants to an average of 32 years and called for the decommissioning of the least economical plants in Stade and Obrigheim in 2003 and 2005 respectively.
The immediate result of these decisions was the termination of research and development of new reactors after 30 years of promising work.
The utilities currently want to extend the operating life of the 17 nuclear power plants to 40 years, in some cases even to 60 years. Similar guidelines currently apply in the USA.
Nuclear fuel and nuclear waste disposal:
Germany imports all of its uranium requirements from Canada, Russia and other countries. Thirteen of the seventeen nuclear power plants are also equipped to use mixed oxygen fuel. Enrichment is carried out by the Urenco plant in Gronau, calibration is provided by Russia and the fuel is mainly produced by Siemens in Lingen.
Between 1946 and 1990, the former GDR mined its own uranium in Saxony and eastern Thuringia, causing considerable environmental damage. In West Germany, a small uranium mine was operated in Ellweiler between 1960 and 1989.
Nuclear waste is currently partly stored in the facility in Ahaus. A further facility, in which up to 300,000 cubic metres of nuclear waste can be stored, is to be built in Konrad after years of legal disputes. The Konrad facility was authorised in January 2008 and is scheduled to go into operation by 2013.
In Gorleben in Lower Saxony, the construction of a further nuclear waste storage facility is planned for the future and could be operational by 2025.
Dependence on coal energy:
German coal mines are subsidised by the government and provide 55% of Germany's electricity. Deutsche Bank and the International Energy Agency issued warnings in 2007 that dismantling nuclear power plants would limit Germany's capacity to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, cause more blackouts and increase dependence on gas imports from Russia.
