Ministry of Economic Affairs: There is no plan for ships of power plants at the moment

At the moment, the Federal Ministry of Economics does not pursue any other considerations regarding the use of floating oil-fired power plants for power supply. The background is the decision to extend the service life of all three remaining nuclear power plants through April.

The Federal Ministry of Economy’s considerations of the presence of floating oil power plants in the North Sea that produce electricity are not on the table. With the decision to continue operating the remaining three German nuclear power plants, a Belgian company’s offer of up to three power plant vessels “is no longer relevant at the moment,” a spokesman for the German news agency dpa said.

The ministry sparked off the use of such vessels, also known as “power barges,” in early September when it submitted the results of its second winter power supply stress test. At the time, Economy Minister Robert Habeck intended to keep two of Germany’s three remaining nuclear power plants. On the other hand, the Emsland nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony was scheduled to close as planned at the end of the year. Floating oil power stations were mentioned as a way to secure the power supply in northern Germany and to cover any gaps.

However, Habek’s proposal at the time is now outdated. After a long dispute between the Greens and the FDP, Chancellor Olaf Schultz decided in October, citing his authority to issue guidelines, that All three remaining nuclear power plants by April 15 can continue to work.

Originally talking about up to three power plant ships

According to the Federal Ministry of Economy, the Belgian company Exmar has offered the federal government to install up to three ships for power plants in Germany. Talks were also held with the company and the government of Lower Saxony.