The German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) has not ruled out the short-term continued operation of the Bavarian nuclear power plant Isar 2. If the ongoing stress test on energy security shows “that Bavaria could actually have a serious electricity or grid problem, then we will evaluate this situation and the options that will then exist,” she told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”.
Lemke also pointed out that the nuclear power plant could run longer in so-called stretch operation without new fuel elements than initially stated. In March, the Ministries for Economic Affairs and the Environment led by the Greens rejected an extension of the service life for the three remaining German nuclear power plants in an examination of electricity security in Germany, also referring to safety and liability risks. In the meantime, however, another so-called stress test on energy security is underway, the results of which should be available in the coming weeks. Lemke emphasized that we now have to wait and see.
Longer operation technically possible
The German Environment Minister also made it clear to “FAS” that the situation in relation to the Bavarian reactor has changed since spring. “In March, the power plant operators assured us that the fuel elements would be used up by the end of the year, and that only stretching operation in 2023 would be possible if the output was reduced accordingly in 2022. Everyone agreed that this would not make sense,” she emphasized. “We were later informed that the fuel elements in the Isar 2 nuclear power plant could last a few months longer.”
Source: The Observatorial
