Nuclear and coal moratoria effects on the European electricity system

Classical base-load power plants such as coal and nuclear power plants have been the backbone of electricity supply in recent decades. While both of these peak-load technologies have been able to supply large amounts of electricity at low prices, their external costs and some of the related risks have spurred a discussion on their share in total generation. The German moratorium for nuclear power plants has shown, that not only long planned phase-outs, but also short-term suspensions of generation due to political decisions are possible. The present paper analyses different scenarios of potential nuclear and coal power moratoria in central Europe to determine how present or future power systems are equipped to deal with such short-term changes.