Proposal on reserve operation of nuclear power plants: EnBW examining feasibility after clarifying further details

Karlsruhe. The German government has today presented its findings following the stress test conducted on the country’s energy supply. Accordingly, a decision has been taken to keep the Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim II nuclear power plants – the latter operated by EnBW – in standby mode beyond the legal decommissioning date of 31 December 2022 until mid-April and start them up for power production, if necessary.

EnBW had always stated that it would do its utmost to support the German government’s efforts to guarantee a secure energy supply within the bounds of its capabilities and be ready to talk at any time. Following the conclusions from the stress test now presented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK), EnBW has declared that the legal framework must be created as quickly as possible for the aforementioned nuclear power plants to be ready for operation beyond 31 December 2022. Furthermore, the German government must expound on the details of the agreed approach in consultation with the power plant operators wherever possible. EnBW will then immediately examine the feasibility – particularly with regard to technical and organizational considerations – of keeping the Neckarwestheim II nuclear power plant in standby mode beyond the end of the year.

About EnBW

EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG is one of the largest energy supply companies in Germany and supplies electricity, gas, water and energy solutions and energy industry services to around 5.5 million customers with a workforce of around 26,000 employees. In the field of e-mobility, EnBW has grown to become one of the market leaders in recent years. As a full-service provider together with its subsidiaries, its activities range from electricity generation using renewable energy sources to the development, expansion and operation of charging infrastructure and the creation of digital solutions for consumers. In addition, as an independent EnBW subsidiary, Netze BW is responsible for the secure operation of distribution grids. As one of the German market leaders in home storage and photovoltaic systems, EnBW also combines solar, storage and electricity cloud solutions with e-mobility services to create a complete energy ecosystem for its customers.