(Photo : Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)
NECKARWESTHEIM, GERMANY - APRIL 15: Neckarwestheim 2 nuclear power plant pictured on the day the plant is officially shutting down on April 15, 2023 near Neckarwestheim, Germany. Neckarwestheim 2, Emsland and Isar 2 are Germany's last three operating nuclear power plants and are scheduled to cease operation tonight.

Germany has officially shut down its last three nuclear power plants in a landmark move in sustainable energy. The phaseout of these electric facilities faced mixed reactions from experts and environmental sectors.

The German country initially planned to close down these nuclear plants last year or before 2022 ends. However, the war between Russia and Ukraine has extended the operations of the country's last three nuclear power plants.

Germany's Last Three Nuclear Power Plants

While various nations across the globe are still grappling with the energy crisis, Germany has ended its nuclear era, closing down all its final power plants. CNN World reports that the German nation has been operating its nuclear power facilities for roughly six decades. But after all those years, it officially phased out all its nuclear plants on April 15.

There have been consistent calls for Germany to extend the operations of its nuclear power plants in the meantime amid the global energy crisis. It is worth noting that the German government initially planned to stop producing nuclear power from nuclear power last December 2022.

According to CNBC, the country raised plans to shut down its nuclear power plants in 2011. However, the unprecedented invasion of Russia in Ukraine affected energy access in the European region. And with that, Germany pushed back its long-time plan to close these facilities.

But after a few months, the government proceeded with it, ending its nuclear power era after several decades of relying on such renewable technology.

Read Also: German, British Tanks Shipment Arrives in Ukraine

Experts React to Nuclear Power Plant Phase Out

The spokesperson of the World Nuclear Association, Henry Preston, finds the recent move of Germany "hugely disappointing." He notes that the nuclear power plants in the country could have extended their operations for the next four decades or 40 years.

The World Nuclear Association spokesperson also claimed that "Germany's nuclear industry has been world-class," noting that the reactors of the last three plants "performed extremely well."

Other experts voiced similar sentiments. A climate researcher at the Institute for Coastal Research in Germany, Hans von Sotrch, told CNBC that "it was not a wise decision." He adds that this "leads to an increase of greenhouse gas emissions" in the country.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of tech giants like Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX, Elon Musk, also shared his two cents on the nuclear plant shutdown. As per The Street, the billionaire entrepreneur recently tweeted, "The timing of this couldn't be worse."

The big boss of Tesla has previously opposed the plan of Germany. In an interview in 2022 with the Axel Springer CEO, Mathias Dopfner, Musk was straightforward. He says the country "should not only not shut down the nuclear power plants, [but it should also reopen] the ones that shut down" previously. He further called the phaseout a "crazy" move and a "total madness."

Related Article: Germany Allows Poland to Send MiG-29 Jets to Ukraine