Moreover, stopping and starting up a nuclear power plant is also complex in terms of nuclear safety. A lot of parameters have to be optimal to perfectly manage the chain reaction in the reactor. For instance, the nuclear fuel must be properly positioned, the chemical composition of the water in the reactor must be correct down to the millilitre, the right pressures and temperatures must be reached, etc. Our nuclear power plants are designed as so-called "baseload plants" and are intended to produce electricity stably and safely all year round, regardless of weather conditions.

In recent years, our experts, under the supervision of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control, carried out thorough safety studies. These showed that, within certain limits, they can temporarily reduce their power output if there is a lot of renewable energy available. We call that "modulating". Something that happens regularly in the meantime, by the way. Certain power plants are allowed to reduce their capacity by 25% up to five times a year for a maximum of six hours. Other plants are capable of dropping up to 50% in power up to 30 times per 18 months for a maximum of 72 hours. To do this in a perfectly safe manner, however, it is necessary to start the necessary preparations at least 24 hours in advance. Sometimes additional restrictions apply that make modulations temporarily impossible for a particular plant, such as maintenance that needs to be done or the length of time the fuel is in the reactor.

Our nuclear power plants are intended to produce electricity stably and safely all year round, regardless of weather conditions.