Germany has shut down three of its last six operating nuclear power plants as it moves toward complete closure of nuclear power because it is focusing on renewable energy sources, Reuters reports.
The government has decided to speed up the phasing out of nuclear power following the 2011 Fukushima accident, when an earthquake and tsunami destroyed the coastal plant in the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
The last three nuclear power plants will be shut down by the end of 2022.
Preussen Elektra, which operates two of the closed nuclear power plants, said in a statement Saturday that the two were closed shortly before midnight on Friday. RWE said the third also cut off electricity production on Friday night.
PreussenElektra CEO Guido Knott thanked employees for their commitment to safety: "We have made a decisive contribution to the secure, climate-friendly and reliable electricity supply in Germany for decades."
The phasing out of energy, which some see as clean and cheap, is an irreversible step for Europe's largest economy, although the country faces ambitious climate goals and rising electricity prices.
The six nuclear power plants accounted for about 12% of Germany's electricity production in 2021, according to preliminary data. The share of renewable energy is almost 41%, with coal generating just under 28% and gas about 15%.
Germany seeks to meet 80% of renewable energy demand by 2030 by expanding wind and solar infrastructure.
No comments:
Post a Comment