Germany finally ends nuclear, Finland turns on biggest nuclear plant in Europe

Germany Finally Pulls The Plug On Nuclear

The on again off again political power play is finally over in Germany as its last three nuclear power plants are shut down forever.

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As of midnight, Germany's smoking towers of Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2, and Emsland have been closed. They comprised roughly 4,055 megawatts or 6% of Germany's total energy generation, forcing Berlin to hunt for alternatives as energy costs remain high across much of Europe.

Germany's efforts to close its final nuclear power plants were stymied after Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted Berlin to cut off fossil fuel imports from Russia. The move caused energy prices to skyrocket and coincided with shortages across Europe.

At one point, Germany planned to shutter the three final reactors by the end of last year, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz extended the plants' life to mid-April amid concerns about limited energy supply.

Other European nations have begun ramping up nuclear power exposure as a fossil fuel alternative, including France, which generates more than 70% of its power from nuclear.

Germany's coal burning soared to the highest rate in nearly six years, according to data from the site Electricity Maps.​

Germany shutters last nuclear power plants amid European energy crisis, Washington Examiner, Ryan King, April 15, 2023

Meanwhile, Finland has just brought online a nuclear reactor, the biggest in Europe.

Finland’s much-delayed and costly new nuclear reactor, Europe's most powerful by production capacity, has completed a test phase lasting more than a year and started regular output, boosting the country's electricity self-sufficiency significantly.

The Olkiluoto 3 reactor, which has 1,600-megawatt capacity, was connected into the Finnish national power grid in March 2022 and kicked off regular production on Sunday. Operator Teollisuuden Voima, or TVO, tweeted that "Olkiluoto 3 is now ready" after a delay of 14 years from the original plan.

The Olkiluoto 3 is Western Europe's first new reactor in more than 15 years. Nuclear power remains a controversial issue in Europe.

The unit is expected to meet around 14% of Finland's electricity demand, reducing the need for imports from Sweden and Norway.

"The production of Olkiluoto 3 stabilises the price of electricity and plays an important role in the Finnish green transition," [the power plant's operator] TVO Chief Executive Jarmo Tanhua said a statement.​

After 18 years, Europe's largest nuclear reactor starts regular output, Reuters, Essi Lehto, April 15, 2023

 

GOODER AND HARDER, GERMANY: Germany shut down its last nuclear energy plant on Saturday. On the same day, Germans learned their power bills were about to go up 45%.

'Nobody ever said salving the consciences of the elites was going to be cheap.'

Expensive

 

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