The debate about extending the service life of the three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany is ongoing. EnBW boss Mastiaux is skeptical about the continued operation of the EnBW plant.
Düsseldorf/Karlsruhe (dpa/lsw) - The CEO of the energy group EnBW, Frank Mastiaux, has expressed skepticism about the continued operation of the EnBW nuclear power plant in Neckarwestheim beyond the end of the year. The power plant can continue to operate in its current state for a few weeks, Mastiaux said on Thursday evening at an event organized by the Business Journalists' Association in Düsseldorf. But that would require changing the law. There should also be clarity about how to deal with the international standards for test methods, which provide for a revision every ten years. This review, which should have been due in 2019, was not carried out at the time due to the planned decommissioning. Long-term operation would also require procurement of fuel rods, which normally take 12 to 18 months to deliver.
"We have a legal situation, we have an economic plan and an obligation to implement it," said Mastiaux. Behind it hangs a rat tail on other effects. For example, there are plans for retraining or early retirement for the more than 700 employees in active power plant operation. For the block that will be shut down, there are plans for companies to carry out special work. Contracts would have to be made with these companies ten years in advance "so that they are then also available". There are also issues of storage and disposal. "All these things and this plan was optimized for December 31st of this year and we are sticking to that because we have no other picture."
"Because we've optimized everything for the day, they can't say: oh, I'll just do it longer and then just let it continue beyond the question of approval processes and other things," Mastiaux continued. You can continue with the fuel rods for a few more weeks, "but that's it. Then you would have to talk about new fuel rods." In this phase, the capacity would already be reduced. "The amount of electricity that is then available will very slowly end at some point."
Nevertheless, Mastiaux emphasized: "We are not the ones who decide that, because it is a law." The decision as to whether anything will be changed in this law lies with the government and parliament. All technical data has been provided for the current stress test of the transmission system operators for the power supply in winter.
