Germany’s single unit Grohnde NPP, a 1,360MWe pressurised water reactor, has become the world’s first commercial reactor to have generated a combined total of more than 350TWh of electricity, according to German utility E.ON Kernkraft. Grohnde began commercial operation in Lower Saxony in February 1985. In addition, Grohnde to date has saved around 350mt of CO2 emissions, E.ON said. "This represents twice the annual CO2 emissions of Germany’s entire road traffic."
E.On Kernkraft management board member Erwin Fischer said: "Good results in terms of performance, a highly motivated and highly qualified labour force, problem-free operation and continuous improvement in occupational safety are our contributions to ensuring a secure and reliable electricity supply in Germany." Grohnde is one of three nuclear plants operated in Germany by E.ON, which also has minority stakes in three others. The company’s nuclear power assets currently account for around 8% of Germany’s generation portfolio.
Germany is committed to phasing out nuclear energy in the country, with the last remaining operational nuclear plant to be shut down by 2022. Grohnde is expected to lose its operating permit in December 2021 at the latest. The German Atomic Forum reports that Germany’s nine remaining operational nuclear plants, including Grohnde, generated a combined total of 91.7TWh (gross) of electricity in 2015.
