Germany Shuts Down All Nuclear Power Plants

How many nuclear power plants has Germany shut down?

Germany's last three nuclear power plants, Emsland, Isar II, and Neckarwestheim II, have been shut down. The country first planned to phase out nuclear power in 2011. The goal was to shut down all nuclear power plants by the end of 2022.

But the plans were delayed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The invasion cut off the Russian gas supply to Germany. So, the government decided to keep the power plants running until 15th April 2023. But, many scientists made a last-minute appeal to keep the reactors functional.

Why did scientists appeal to keep the three nuclear power plants operational?

Scientists say the lack of Russian natural gas has caused an energy crisis in Germany and Europe. So, it would be wise to keep the power plants operational. The scientists are disappointed that the power plants, which don’t release any greenhouse gases, are being shut down.

Still, their appeal did not change the decision of Germany’s government to turn off the nuclear power plants.

Why did the German government decide to shut down the nuclear power plants?

Steffi Lemke, Germany's Environment Minister, highlighted uncontrollable dangers related to nuclear power plants. So, the government has chosen to shut down the power plants to keep the country safer and avoid additional nuclear waste.

Many Germans in the past had protested against the use of nuclear power. But, the governments did not listen to them and opened nuclear power plants.

However, in 2011, a nuclear meltdown occurred in Fukushima, Japan. Seeing the destruction it caused, Germany's government said that nuclear power plants in Germany would be slowly shut down.

What are other countries in Europe doing about nuclear power plants

Sweden and Italy shut down their nuclear power stations shortly after the Chernobyl disaster. In Italy, the ruling is still in effect, while Sweden changed it in 1996. There are six operational nuclear power facilities in Sweden today.

Several European countries, including the Netherlands and Poland, are planning new nuclear power plants. Many countries in the European Union plan to use nuclear power, while several intend to expand their current capacities.