<h5>How many nuclear power plants has Germany shut down?</h5><p>Germany is no longer producing any electricity from nuclear power plants. It has shut down its last three nuclear power plants. They were &nbsp;Emsland, Isar II, and Neckarwestheim II. In 2011, the country announced intentions to phase out nuclear power by the end of 2022.</p><p>But, the Russian invasion of Ukraine delayed the plans. As Russian gas supplies to Germany were cut off, the government feared an energy shortage. So, Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to extend the power stations' operational period until 15th April 2023. But, many distinguished scientists made a last-minute appeal to keep the reactors operational.</p><h5>Why did scientists appeal to keep the three nuclear power plants operational?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/germany-shuts-down-all-nuclear-power-plants%2Fneckarwestheim-ii-nuclear-power-plant.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=f93ae0de-3343-47fb-a3d0-a8e867f54a51"><figcaption>The Neckarwestheim II nuclear power plant. Photo by Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.</figcaption></figure><p>Scientists say there is an energy crisis in Germany and Europe due to the unavailability of Russian natural gas. So, it would be wise to continue operating the last remaining German nuclear power plants. Also, the three power plants provide power to more than 10 million German households.</p><p>The scientists are also disappointed as nuclear power is a low-carbon energy source. Nuclear reactors don’t emit greenhouse gases when they generate power. They could have been kept operational for a longer time. The scientists also highlighted that many countries are using nuclear power plants as a source of clean energy.</p><p>Still, their appeal did not change the decision of Germany’s government to turn off the nuclear power plants.</p><h5>Why did the German government decide to shut down the nuclear power plants?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/germany-shuts-down-all-nuclear-power-plants%2Femsland-nuclear-power-plant.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=be8c267b-caab-4712-9a73-6239a4393c41"><figcaption>A view of the &nbsp;Emsland nuclear power plant. Photo by Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.</figcaption></figure><p>Germany's Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said that the risks associated with nuclear power are uncontrollable. That’s why the government has decided to shut down the power plants to make the country safer and to avoid more nuclear waste.</p><p>In the past, before Germany was unified, many Germans protested against the use of nuclear power. Then, in 1986, the Chernobyl disaster happened. This showed the world the dangers of nuclear power plants. Still, many German political parties supported the use of nuclear power.</p><p>But, in 2002, Jürgen Trittin, then Environment Minister of Germany, proposed the first plan to shut off nuclear power plants. But it did not meet with government approval at first.</p><p>However, a catastrophic nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, happened in 2011. Seeing the destruction it caused, Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor at the time, declared that nuclear power plants in Germany would be slowly shut down.</p><h5>What are other countries in Europe doing about nuclear power plants?</h5><p>Sweden and Italy shut down their nuclear power plants shortly after the Chernobyl tragedy. The decision remains in effect in Italy. But Sweden reversed the decision in 1996. Six nuclear power facilities are operational in the country, providing 30% of the country's electricity needs.</p><p>Other European countries, including the Netherlands and Poland, plan to expand their nuclear power plants. Belgium has delayed its scheduled phase-out. France has 57 reactors. 13 of the European Union’s 27 member countries plan to use nuclear power, with some deciding to increase the current capacities.</p>

The German government had planned to phase out nuclear power plants by 2022.

Germany Shuts Down All Nuclear Power Plants

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Germany Shuts Down All Nuclear Power Plants

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