Bavarian Greens say limited runtime extension of Isar 2 nuclear plant is viable option if necessary
Bild-Zeitung
Leading Green Party politicians in Bavaria have said that a limited extension of the southern German state鈥檚 remaining nuclear plant would be an option if the federal government鈥檚 current 鈥渟tress test鈥� for the country鈥檚 grid indicates this. Katharina Schulze and Ludwig Hartmann, Green parliamentary group leaders in the Bavarian state parliament, told newspaper Bild in an that Green Party voters in general 鈥渃learly say no to a runtime extension.鈥� However, given the current energy crisis, and Bavaria being 鈥渢he energy policy problem child of the country,鈥� the situation might make a limited extension of the Isar 2 reactor a necessary relief for the state鈥檚 energy security. The state鈥檚 governing conservative party CSU, which has had a firm grip on the state鈥檚 government in its entire post-war history, has 鈥渄elayed grid expansion and blocked the expansion of wind power,鈥� Schulze said. 鈥淚f the stress test reveals that we鈥檒l have a supply bottleneck in southern Germany, everything is up for debate. We will then have several alternatives. A 鈥漵tretched 鈥� operation [meaning no new fuel rods are used] for a few months would be one of them,鈥� Hartmann said, adding that the goal to quickly end the 鈥渉igh-risk technology鈥� would remain unchanged.聽
The German government has been considering a runtime extension for the country鈥檚 three remaining nuclear reactors shortly after the beginning of Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine. A first analysis found the plants that covered three percent of Germany鈥檚 energy supply in the first half of 2022 cannot make a meaningful contribution to resolving the gas supply crunch. However, the government ordered a second analysis, a so-called grid stress test, to assess whether keeping the plants in stretched operation can be of help to secure regional grid stability. The test鈥檚 results are expected before the end of August.
