Saturday, April 15th, will be a historical day for Germany. After more than sixty years, the nuclear era will come to an end. Precisely at midnight, the last three nuclear reactors in the country will shut down.

Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony, and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württembergare are the last three reactors of a nuclear park that once contained 33 reactors. In 2022, atomic power represented 6% of German electricity production. In 2000, it was 25% for 19 nuclear reactors.

Normally, the last three German reactors had to be closed definitely at the end of 2022, but due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the ensuing crisis, the nuclear phase-out was postponed 100 days until April 15th.

Mixed feelings

However, criticism of the nuclear exit continues to simmer. After all, Germany will initially emit more CO2 due to the larger share of natural gas and coal in power production. In addition, the question arises whether the energy transition to renewable sources will succeed without too many problems.

The Germans have mixed feelings now that they wave goodbye to the energy source that has generated reliable and emission-free electricity for years. The war in Ukraine has made them look differently at nuclear energy.

Symbol of progress

The first nuclear power plant in Germany – Kakl in Bavaria – went into operation on June 17th, 1961. At that time, it was a symbol of progress. The Kahl plant was shut down in 1985, and the demolition was not completed until 2010.

It was not until the seventies and eighties that – sometimes violent – resistance arose against constructing nuclear power plants. Many people became convinced of the danger of nuclear power after the disaster of Chernobyl.

Nuclear disaster

But the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in March 2011 really put an end to German’s love of nuclear energy. Eight power stations were immediately shut down, a decision supported by three-quarters of Germans at the time. A decision that received a lot of criticism because the lost nuclear capacity was partly compensated by burning extra coal.

For the remaining nine nuclear plants, an end date was set in the Atomic Energy Act. Last year, only three were still operational.

‘Irreversible’

According to the ‘green’ political party, the nuclear exit is “irreversible”. The Christian Democrats, however, denounce the impact on the climate. And as far as the industry is concerned, they fear higher prices and supply problems.

In the meantime, the staff in the last power stations, especially in Bavaria, regret the coming shutdown. Moreover, many local and regional politicians favor extending the plants’ lifespans.

‘Atomkraft? Nie wieder!’

However, the mood is different in northern Lower Saxony, ruled by a red-green coalition. Earlier this week, the anti-nuclear energy logo with the well-known smiling sun was projected on the cooling tower of the Emsland power station with a slightly different slogan this time: “Atomkraft? Nie wieder!”