Electricity base load security, competitive electricity prices and independence

Electricity base load security, competitive electricity prices and independence through the recommissioning of German nuclear power plants

Key messages

• The continued operation of German nuclear power plants offers a safe, economically viable and climate-friendly alternative to the current energy policy. The coming months are crucial for making a pragmatic and sustainable decision for Germany's energy future.
• Nuclear energy made in Germany means: weather-independent and CO2-neutral electricity base load security, finally competitive electricity prices for industry again and independence from electricity imports for a stable and sovereign energy supply.
• Affordable energy secures Germany as a business location, industry remains in Germany and new future technologies with high electricity requirements can settle here.
• An immediate decommissioning stop and a return to the use of nuclear energy are necessary to lead Germany into a safe, affordable and climate-neutral future.

New start for Germany with nuclear energy

Germany is facing a huge energy policy challenge. Our electricity costs are no longer competitive in an international comparison and are threatening the existence of our economy. It is no longer economically viable to finance and implement an infrastructure (grid, storage and backup) that is largely based on renewable energies.

The problem: renewable energies are not base-load capable. When the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining, the electricity demand in Germany must be covered by fossil energy sources or imports (of mainly French nuclear power).

The German government expects gross electricity demand to increase to >1,000 TWh in 2030 (compared to 510 TWh in 2024). Although the forecast demand covers the electrification of the transport and heating sectors, the significant expansion of future technologies (data centers, AI applications) has not yet been taken into account. Neighboring countries such as France are investing heavily in AI, meaning that their excess electricity capacities will no longer be available for export to Germany.

If the proportion of volatile energy sources in the German energy mix continues to increase, the need for electricity imports or self-generated fossil electricity will intensify. This is a vicious circle that will lead to disastrous dependencies.

The planned further expansion of renewable energy generation will not be able to replace conventional gas and coal-fired power plants in Germany. On the contrary - even the existing power plants will not be sufficient to compensate for the volatility of renewables. The need for additional storage capacity and/or fossil backup power plants is enormous. This conversion of the infrastructure can neither be financed nor realized in time. As a result, Germany will no longer be able to provide cheap electricity on its own and keep the grid stable at the same time.

The continued operation of coal-fired power plants has led to significantly higher CO2 emissions than planned, and the timetable for phasing out coal is unrealistic under the current framework conditions.

A constructive solution is now needed to get our energy industry back on track quickly and sustainably.

The recommissioning of nuclear power plants in Germany is this pragmatic, economical and socially sensible solution. Up to six shut-down nuclear power plants could be brought back online in just a few years - without compromising on nuclear safety.

Positive effects of the recommissioning of nuclear power plants

1. Future viability of Germany as a business location

• Nuclear power plants are capable of providing base load and stabilizing the grid. This means that Germany can meet the electricity requirements of both existing “traditional” industry and the expansion of future technologies from its own resources.
• Nuclear power plants produce electricity with very low electricity production costs. This keeps the price of electricity stable, allowing the domestic economy to produce competitively again.
• Nuclear power plants support the achievement of climate protection targets due to their CO2 neutrality. This avoids penalties and makes Germany more attractive as a business location. Companies can produce CO2-neutral electricity from nuclear energy at any time of the year.
• The recommissioning of up to 6 nuclear power plants is based on the existing power plant structures. This enables rapid availability (3 to 5 years, i.e. by 2030!) of large installed capacity (annual electricity production of approx. 65 TWh).
• Nuclear energy is a high-tech sector in which many German companies and organizations are international leaders. Continued operation ensures the operation of research reactors, which are indispensable for the preservation of know-how and medicine, as well as the expertise for research and development of smaller reactors of the new generation in Germany.

2. Vorgezogener Kohleausstieg und signifikante Verbesserung des CO₂-Fußabdrucks

• Renewable energies are not base-load capable, which is why reserve power plants must be kept available. These are currently coal-fired power plants. The continued operation of nuclear power plants enables the rapid phase-out of coal-fired power generation without jeopardizing security of supply.
• CO2 emissions can thus be reduced earlier and environmental pollution minimized. For comparison: A lignite-fired power plant with an output of 1,000 MW emits approx. 1 kg of CO2 per kWh generated. This results in 8,000,000,000 kg CO2/year for a single lignite-fired power plant.
• In fact, nuclear power plants are the ideal complement to renewable energies to compensate for their volatility. Nuclear energy therefore also supports the further expansion of wind and solar energy in the long term.

3. Contribution to national and European energy independence

• A nuclear power plant only needs approx. 25 tons of low-enriched uranium per year to produce approx. 11 billion kWh of electricity. Such quantities of fuel can easily be procured in stock for several years. This is because uranium is available worldwide and is mined in large quantities (approx. 50,000 tons per year). A shortage of uranium is not in sight.
• In a geopolitically uncertain world, Germany must rely on its own strength. On nuclear power.

The fact is that the recommissioning of up to six nuclear power plants is technically possible. But time is pressing. The quicker the decision is made, the less money it will cost - and the sooner the base-load-securing, climate-friendly power plants can go back online.

Together, we can take responsibility for a sustainable energy supply. With an energy mix of nuclear energy and renewable energies, economic and ecological goals can be achieved simultaneously.

With the following plan for the continued operation of German nuclear power plants, we will bring individual nuclear power plants back online and Germany back to the forefront of industrialization:

1. The new start check
   • Immediate decommissioning time-out for a technical, regulatory and economic review
   • Analysis of the options for recommissioning while maintaining high safety standards.
   • Adaptation of the legal framework to enable continued operation.
     
2. Timely political decision for recommissioning
   • Amendment of the Atomic Energy Act so that Germany can once again benefit from cheap and secure electricity before 2030.
3. Creation of a sustainable operator structure
   • In many European countries, nuclear power plants are traditionally operated by state-owned companies (e.g. EdF in France or Vattenfall in Sweden). In Switzerland, nuclear power plants are operated by private, partially state-owned or cooperatively organized energy companies. To ensure the sustainability of political decisions, in Belgium, for example, the state has joined an operating company to extend the operating life.
   • In Germany, a mix of state participation and opening up to private investment to secure financing and efficiency is conceivable. Integrating the dismantling facilities into the new company would generate further advantages due to the pooling of resources.
   • Participation of private companies and research institutions in the innovation and modernization of the plants, possibly with pro rata use of the profits of the new operating company for research and development.
4. Step-by-step recommissioning
   • Depending on the dismantling status, individual nuclear power plants can be put back into operation in the near future.
5. Long-term integration into the energy transition
   • Development of a strategic plan for the German energy supply, which integrates renewable energies and nuclear power, but also the planned hydrogen economy.
   • Development of new technologies, such as modern reactor concepts, which can also contribute to solving the final storage issue.
   • Nuclear energy and nuclear safety “Made in Germany” were a key driver of the economic success of German companies.

 Re-entry - now!

It is high time to make the right decision now for a stable and sustainable energy policy. Because deindustrialization, excessively high electricity prices, dependence on electricity imports and the uncertain supply situation must end now!

KernD is offering the new federal government the opportunity to take the future into its own hands and stop the deindustrialization of Germany. KernD's member companies are on hand with expertise and energy to help.

The new nuclear energy will make a decisive contribution to safe, affordable and readily available energy, to achieving climate targets, to Germany's independence and to strengthening the competitiveness of our industry today and tomorrow.

Contact us

Nicolas Wendler
Tel.: +49 172 237 9184
E-Mail: presse@kernd.de

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KernD is the leading competence network for nuclear energy in Germany. As an association of key players in the industry, KernD brings together companies, research institutions and experts who are committed to the safe use, research and further development of nuclear technology. With its expertise and experience, KernD is the first point of contact for all questions relating to nuclear energy in Germany.