Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Germany to reverse nuclear power plant policy until mid-April 2023

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Sep 2022 23:47
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced in a statement that two of the three remaining nuclear power plants will remain available on standby until mid-April 2023.

  • x
  • Water vapor rises from the cooling tower of nuclear power plant of Nrckarwestheim in Neckarwestheim, Germany, Monday, Aug. 22, 2022 (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
    Water vapor rises from the cooling tower of nuclear power plant of Nrckarwestheim in Neckarwestheim, Germany, Monday, Aug. 22, 2022 (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

In a policy reversal, Germany announced, on Monday, that it will maintain two nuclear power plants in standby status through the end of the year as the cutoff of Russian gas imports causes Europe to look for alternative energy sources.

Following a new network stress test, Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced in a statement that two of the three remaining nuclear power plants will "remain available until mid-April 2023 in case needed," somewhat postponing a nuclear withdrawal envisaged under the previous chancellor Angela Merkel.  

The facilities would be held in reserve in case they were needed to "make a further contribution to the electricity grid in southern Germany," where the development of renewable energy lagged behind throughout the north.

According to Habeck, such a catastrophe is still "very unlikely" because Germany has "very high security of supply."

The Green Minister also emphasized that Germany was sticking to its plan to abandon nuclear power, with all plants being disconnected from the grid at the end of the year, and that it was not changing course.

New fuel rods won't be installed, and the reserve program will end after mid-April 2023, according to Habeck. Following a preliminary stress test in March, it was determined that the remaining nuclear fleet could be gradually disposed of by year's end as originally intended since it was not necessary to maintain energy security.

In reference to the summer drought that has caused Germany's rivers to dry up and hampered the transportation of fuel, Habeck remarked, "War and the climate crisis are having a very concrete impact."

The Energy Crisis in Germany 

Protests over the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 prompted former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to set in motion the process of abandoning nuclear power just over a decade ago.

Related News

CNBC unveils strategic plan to revitalize Syria energy sector with US

Syria to sign deal to import electricity from Turkey, minister says

Germany, where nuclear power has long been a source of controversy before Merkel's decision, has seen a surge of discussion over extending the lifetime of the facilities, which produce 6% of the nation's electricity.

Habeck is particularly concerned about the decision because his Green party has anti-nuclear origins.

However, Germany has already taken steps to prepare for the winter by filling gas storage tanks and restarting coal power reactors that had been idled.

Gas supplies via Nord Stream have completely stopped since August 31st and the operation of the pipeline has been suspended due to scheduled maintenance work at the Portovaya compressor station, data from gas transportation system operators showed.

A leak was located at the main gas turbine at the Portovaya compressor station near St. Petersburg.

On August 19, Gazprom said it would halt the flow of gas through the pipeline from August 31 until September 2 due to routine maintenance.

Gazprom said, on September 2, that supplies would remain halted through Saturday due to ongoing repair. The pipeline will reopen once repairs are fully completed.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller stated on August 31st that Siemens Energy, a pipeline equipment supplier, could not carry out regular maintenance because of sanctions.

According to Habeck, Germany no longer considers Russian supplies when evaluating its energy security. 

German statistics office Destatis, in May, reported another hike in food and energy prices as inflation continues. Europe’s top economy, Germany, has reached 7.9%, the highest level since the 1973 oil crisis.

The surge came as the Ukraine war resulted in the collective-West imposing unprecedented sanction packages on Russia. The sanctions imposed on oil and gas hit Europe the hardest and consequently impacted inflation rates the most since late February said Destatis.

Read more: Germany issues nearly €65 bln relief to deal with winter energy crisis

  • Energy crisis
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nord Stream 1
  • Germany
  • EU
  • Gazprom
  • Angela Merkel
  • Robert Habeck

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS