A study, commissioned by Berlin-based science and the environment association Ökomoderne e.V. and executed by Finnish not-for-profit research company Think Atom, has concluded that Germany’s current policy of closing its nuclear power plants early would result in the country releasing no less than a billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Germany still had six operating nuclear reactors, but they were all scheduled to close down next year, despite being a major source of low-carbon electricity for the country.

If, however, Germany kept the reactors operating and generating electricity, and instead closed down coal-fired power stations, the country would be able to completely terminate coal-fired electricity generation by 2028. This would be ten years sooner than planned by the administration of previous Chancellor (currently interim Chancellor) Angela Merkel, pointed out the 'One Billion Tons' report, as the study has been named.

The report highlighted that Germany had so far achieved little in its efforts to develop and deploy low-carbon energy. After 20 years and the expenditure of hundreds of billions of euros, only 20% of the country’s electricity was generated by renewable technologies, such as biomass, solar and wind. No less than 75% was still generated by fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas. Germany, to meet its own targets, had to rapidly cut its carbon emissions. This could only be achieved if the nuclear shutdown policy was abandoned.

“Given that we need to act very fast and reduce emissions significantly in the 2020s, keeping the currently operating nuclear plants open is the quickest and surest way to do that,” affirmed energy analyst and 'One Billions Tons' report lead author Rauli Partanen. “It is highly risky and irresponsible towards future generations to try and solve the climate challenge without one of the most capable technologies we have at our disposal.”

The retention of the remaining six reactors in service would require refurbishing them, which would cost money. But, Ökomoderne pointed out, the International Energy Agency had established that extending the operational lives of existing nuclear reactors was the most cost-effective option for the production of low-carbon energy, and had encouraged countries to do so, while maintaining safety. The association (whose name translates into English as ‘Ecomodern’) pointed out that keeping the reactors going would be one of the cheapest ways for Germany to cut its emissions.