Germany will shut down its last three nuclear plants on April 15, three and a half months after the initial planned calendar. The Minister of the Environment, Steffi Lemke, reiterated that the energy supply is secure, and there will be no further extensions. In her statement to the media group Mediengruppe, Lemke said, “The risks of nuclear energy are disproportionate.” She added that Germany’s energy supply situation is better than some neighboring countries’ more dependent on their nuclear plants.

Initially, Germany was slated to stop using nuclear energy by December 31, 2022. However, the government coalition granted an extension in October to ensure a continuous power supply in the face of the energy crisis after Russia invaded Ukraine. The last three plants provided just 6% of total electricity consumption at the end of 2022, but they were deemed essential for supply security.

Germany has been reducing its energy dependence on Russia since the war in Ukraine began. As a result, the country has resumed coal mining, although it aims to abandon this energy source completely by 2030-38. Germany’s Minister of the Environment added that, in the long run, renewable energy and competition are the most effective tools to achieve stable prices.

The minister highlighted that the risks of nuclear energy are too high, and the energy supply is secure. Further, Germany has been working towards reducing its dependence on Russia and moving towards renewable energy and aims to abandon coal, too, by 2030-38. The extension that was granted in October has now been lifted, and Germany will be shutting down its last nuclear power plants.