Germany’s nuclear exit is happening this week, but is it the right move?

Energy Minister Robert Habeck described the step as irreversible

After years of protests and controversy, Germany is finally ready to close its last remaining three nuclear power plants. The date is set for 15 April, after it had been postponed several times over recent months, due to the energy crisis in Europe spurred on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Yet the proposition still garnered a lot of criticism from within Germany, as well as from European partners. This is because the EU’s biggest economy was uniquely reliant on Russian gas imports before the war and has yet to provide stable and reliable alternatives to largescale LNG imports or extra coal power.

The energy supply is secure

This week Germany’s Energy Minister Robert Habeck explained that the national energy supply is secure while the nuclear exit was an inevitability for the country.

He explained that said security is guaranteed by the relatively high levels of gas storage (around 60% full) in the spring of 2023, LNG terminals on the North Sea ready to take imports from all over the world and the growth of renewables.

Originally, the reactors were supposed to shut down last year, however, over the summer, authorities decided to keep them going through the winter to help secure Germany’s energy supply in the very uncertain months following the natural gas cut to Nord Stream 1.

Now, Minister Habeck has found a new impetus in calling for the plants’ dismantling sooner rather than later. Additionally, he pointed out that constructing new nuclear reactors was very much off the table as they present a veritable economic fiasco, citing examples from France, the United Kingdom and Finland.

Criticism of Germany’s nuclear exit

Minister Habeck reiterated the point that Germany hopes to have around 80% of its energy mix supplied by renewables by 2030. According to Statista, the electricity mix in 2022 was around 42% in renewables (solar, wind, hydro and biomass) while around 45% came from fossil fuels, with coal making up the lion’s share. The remaining part of the mix is largely filled out by nuclear, sitting at around 6.5%.

Moreover, Members of the CDU and FDP, the latter of whom are in the ruling coalition, have criticized the move and called Germany’s leadership the ‘coal coalition’, proposing that the difference in the energy mix would be supplied through more coal plants.

Indeed, during the lead-up to the winter, Germany launched a few ‘emergency’ coal plants. The move halted Germany’s coal exit and coal plants that had already closed down lit up their smokestacks once again. Additionally, in April 2022, the Economic Minister for Lower Saxony, Bernd Althusmann, announced the start of an exploration of Germany’s small natural gas deposits located on the North Sea.

However, the winter of 2022 was unusually warm in Europe, which contributed to lower energy consumption. And when it comes to heating – it's a factor that must not be overlooked when planning for the future.

Importantly, before the cold months truly went into full swing, many regional and local authorities were expecting blackouts, prompting some to release guides for citizens, calling for stocking up on canned goods and flashlights. This is also what spurred the energy savings legislation which saw many streetlights turned off and indoor temperatures lowered in a bid to cut consumption by around 15%.