German regulations tighten after shutdowns

Monday, 3 September 2007 As a response to two recent shutdown events, German politicians and nuclear plant operators have agreed to tighten regulation. The events also sparked controversy over generation limits of older plants.

Following two shutdown events that took place at Germany's Brunsbuettel and at the Krummel nuclear power plants in June, the country's minister of environment and nuclear safety, Sigmar Gabriel, announced that he would organize talks with all nuclear operators.

The subsequent meeting between Gabriel and EOn, EnBW, RWE and Vattenfall took place on 23 August, and resulted in commitments from the companies to enact a number of safety measures.

The utilities agreed to review their safety management systems within a year and set processes, structures, and organizational schemes for the continuous improvement of behaviour patterns.

Control rooms of nuclear power plants are to be better protected from the infiltration of gases, and the principles of control room communication procedures would be reviewed and eventually further developed. This is a response to the sequence of events after a transformer fire caused the Krummel reactor to shut down, over which operators Vattenfall have faced heavy criticism.

There was also agreement to arrange twice-yearly meetings between the utilities and federal and state regulators to exchange information and operational experience.  The regulator agreed to conduct periodic safety reviews more swiftly.

The Atomic Energy Act of 2001, written by Gabriel's Social Democrats when they shared power with Greens, shortened the lifespans of nuclear power plants by placing a limit on the total amount of power they are allowed to generate. Two reactors have already closed early, and the remaining 17 are set for shutdown before 2023. Plant owners are able to transfer generating rights between reactors, and are using this to keep the units in operation as long as they can in the hope a future government would repeal the law.

Last March, Vattenfall applied to have 15 TWh of generation capacity transferred from its Mulheim-Karlich nuclear power plant to Brunsbuttel but after that unit's shutdown in June, the application was rejected.

Gabriel stressed at the meeting with utilities that 5% of the remaining electricity production can be transferred from an older to a newer plant without previous regulatory approval. In the minister's opinion transferring rights from older to newer reactors would be beneficial for safety, but the utilities affirmed that safety is maintained whether the plants are old, or new. Subsequent statements by Gabriel on the matter were rebuffed by aides to chancellor Angela Merkel. Her Christian Democrat party does not support the principle of an early phase-out of nuclear power but agreed not to overturn it in order to form a coalition with Social Democrats after the 2006 election.

German utilities remained adamant they still support their request for transfers. Those that have been partially rejected are expected to be resolved in court.

Further information

WNA's Nuclear Power in Germany information paper