Nuclear power in Germany

Nuclear power was used in Germany from the 1960s until it was phased out in April 2023.

German nuclear power began with research reactors in the 1950s and 1960s, with the first commercial plant coming online in 1969. By 1990, nuclear power accounted for about a quarter of the electricity produced in the country.

The anti-nuclear movement in Germany has a long history dating back to the early 1970s and intensified following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.^[1]^[2]^[3] After the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and subsequent anti-nuclear protests, the government announced that it would close all of its nuclear power plants by 2022.^[4]^[5] Eight of the seventeen operating reactors in Germany were permanently shut down following Fukushima.

Nuclear power accounted for 13.3% of German electricity supply in 2021,^[6] supplied by six power plants. Three of these were switched off at the end of 2021, and the other three ceased operations by April 2023.^[7]^[8]

^ John Greenwald. Energy and Now, the Political Fallout, TIME, 2 June 1986.
^ Hanneke Brooymans. France, Germany: A tale of two nuclear nations, The Edmonton Journal, 25 May 2009.
^ Gross, Stephen G. (2023), "Green Energy and the Remaking of West German Politics in the 1970s", Energy and Power, Oxford University Press, pp. 155–C6P88, doi:10.1093/oso/9780197667712.003.0007, ISBN 978-0-19-766771-2
^ Caroline Jorant (July 2011). "The implications of Fukushima: The European perspective". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 67 (4): 15. doi:10.1177/0096340211414842. S2CID 144198768. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
^ Knight, Ben (15 March 2011). "Merkel shuts down seven nuclear reactors". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
^ According to Energy Charts by Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE https://www.energy-charts.info/charts/energy_pie/chart.htm?l=en&c=DE&year=2021&interval=year Archived 27 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine, which give 13.2% for 2017 and 24.8% for 2010, compared to 11.63% in 2017 according to IAEA https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/CountryDetails.aspx?current=DE Archived 17 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine and 22.4% in 2010 according to BDEW https://web.archive.org/web/20120207200938/http://www.bdew.de/internet.nsf/id/DE_20111216-PI-Die-Verantwortung-waechst?open&ccm=900010020010
^ Handelsblatt.com: „Atomkraft konnte die Versprechungen nie einlösen“ – Deutschland beendet das Kernkraft-Zeitalter Archived 13 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine (german)
^ Tagesschau.de: Nukleare Risiken bleiben Archived 13 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine (german)

[1] John Greenwald. Energy and Now, the Political Fallout, TIME, 2 June 1986.

[2] Hanneke Brooymans. France, Germany: A tale of two nuclear nations, The Edmonton Journal, 25 May 2009.

[3] Gross, Stephen G. (2023), "Green Energy and the Remaking of West German Politics in the 1970s", Energy and Power, Oxford University Press, pp. 155–C6P88, doi:10.1093/oso/9780197667712.003.0007, ISBN 978-0-19-766771-2

[4] Caroline Jorant (July 2011). "The implications of Fukushima: The European perspective". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 67 (4): 15. doi:10.1177/0096340211414842. S2CID 144198768. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2013.

[dw31511-5] Knight, Ben (15 March 2011). "Merkel shuts down seven nuclear reactors". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2011.

[6] According to Energy Charts by Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE https://www.energy-charts.info/charts/energy_pie/chart.htm?l=en&c=DE&year=2021&interval=year Archived 27 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine, which give 13.2% for 2017 and 24.8% for 2010, compared to 11.63% in 2017 according to IAEA https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/CountryDetails.aspx?current=DE Archived 17 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine and 22.4% in 2010 according to BDEW https://web.archive.org/web/20120207200938/http://www.bdew.de/internet.nsf/id/DE_20111216-PI-Die-Verantwortung-waechst?open&ccm=900010020010

[7] Handelsblatt.com: „Atomkraft konnte die Versprechungen nie einlösen“ – Deutschland beendet das Kernkraft-Zeitalter Archived 13 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine (german)

[8] Tagesschau.de: Nukleare Risiken bleiben Archived 13 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine (german)

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