Thirty years of electricity from nuclear power plants in Germany

Thirty years ago, in June 1961, VAK Kahl, the first German nuclear power plant, was first synchronized with the power grid - a milestone in the history of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Germany. In twenty-five years of mostly troublefree operation, the plant fulfilled its purposes, i.e., to accumulate practical experience in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants and, in this way, contribute to the further advancement of nuclear technology, and to train nuclear power plant personnel. Associated with these activities were programs for the irradiation of nuclear materials and for fuel element testing. In the three decades since VAK Kahl was commissioned, the conversion of nuclear power into electricity has become a technical-scale process meeting to the greatest possible extent the initial requirements of safety, environmental compatibility, and economy. The positive experience with VAK Kahl led to the construction of the first major German power plant on a nuclear base, Gundremmingen, and on to the plants with the latest boiling water and pressurized water reactors, which are still in the top class worldwide in terms of size and performance. For years, nuclear power has contributed some 40% to the production of electricity in the public supply system of West Germany, thus helping decisively to first stabilize and then reduce industrial electricity rates in Germany. (orig.)