For months there has been a debate about extending the service life of German nuclear power plants - the proponents often argue with an expert opinion from TÜV Süd. A law firm took a closer look on behalf of Greenpeace and is now raising serious allegations.
In the debate about a longer term for the Bavarian nuclear power plant Isar 2, a legal opinion accuses the TÜV Süd of bias in the safety assessment of the reactor. The Hamburg law firm Michael Günther accuses him of a "sloppily argued commissioned work" that "cannot be recognized as a serious assessment". According to the statement, which was commissioned by Greenpeace Germany, the impression also arises that the TÜV is ignoring the applicable nuclear law.
In view of an impending energy crisis and a possible acute gas shortage, Germany is discussing whether extending the service life of the remaining nuclear power plants could help. According to current law, the Isar 2, Emsland (Lower Saxony) and Neckarwestheim 2 (Baden-Württemberg) nuclear power plants are to be shut down by December 31, 2022 at the latest.
In mid-June, an expert opinion by TÜV became known, which, on behalf of the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment, considers continued operation of the Isar 2 nuclear reactor beyond December 31, 2022 to be possible from a safety point of view. A restart of Block C in Gundremmingen, Bavaria, which has already been shut down, is “possible from a technical point of view,” according to the TÜV report dated April 14, 2022. Since then, the proponents of a lifetime extension - such as the CSU - have repeatedly cited the report as evidence that the date set by law in the course of the nuclear phase-out must be overturned.
According to the legal report commissioned by Greenpeace, the evaluation was "apparently intended for use as a weapon in the current discussion about extending the service life in the political arena". TÜV Süd certifies what the client wants. "Regardless of the condition and without checking the nuclear power plant, the result is already clear for the TÜV," says Heinz Smital, nuclear physicist and Greenpeace nuclear expert. The apparently short processing time by the TÜV also fuels the suspicion "that a courtesy report has been created here," according to the lawyers.
