German coal utility RWE cuts Emsland nuclear reactor rods, stretching the limits of the law to secure its coal power investments, say sources

Management at the German coal utility RWE is reportedly pushing the boundaries of national laws concerning nuclear reactor dismantling. The company is aiming to make the Emsland reactor as difficult to restart as possible, according to reports.

Under current regulations, reactors must not be irreversibly damaged until decommissioning permission is granted, and any damage should be reversible within 12 months.

Sources indicate that RWE teams have cut the control rods at the Emsland reactor, considering it a repair that could be completed within a year if the necessary parts were available, Mark Nelson of Radiant Energy group, an energy consultancy, said in a tweet.

“However, French state-owned nuclear part supplier Framatome has privately indicated that it would require "2 to 2.5 years" to remanufacture these parts, which exceeds the 12-month guideline,” Nelson said. “While this action may not necessarily breach the letter of the law, it raises concerns about adhering to the spirit of the regulations.”

RWE's actions are seen as an attempt to safeguard its significant investments in lignite ("brown") coal mining, even at the cost of dismantling a wind farm. By hastening the dismantling of its nuclear plant, RWE could potentially solidify its coal interests in case of a reversal in German nuclear policy.

The CEO of RWE may view the growing popularity of nuclear energy in Germany, as evidenced by a July 2023 poll where 67% of Germans expressed support for nuclear power, as a threat to the company's coal commitments.

“Before shutting down the Emsland reactor in April, RWE's CEO said that Germany didn't need its nuclear plants to supply power. Just after the closure, he clarified that, actually, Germany is in an electricity deficit for several years at least,” Nelson said. “This gives his game away: saying that closing the most productive and cheapest plants in Germany is fine, then declaring a shortage after closing them. Emsland was, and should be, one of the finest and most productive nuclear reactors in the world.”

The Emsland reactor, despite the control rod cutting, could still be restored faster and at a lower cost than building a new cheap and reliable plant, in about 2.5 years and at a cost of €100mn-€200m, unless further damage is done, says Nelson.

This could be achieved through a modification of a single paragraph of existing legislation and a potential shift in RWE's strategic direction.