German transmission system operators are increasingly turning to nuclear plants in France to smooth out the volatility of wind‑ and solar‑generated electricity. By buying the output of neighboring nuclear power stations in a procedure called Cross‑border Redispatch, the operators can prevent temporary overloads in the German grid. These interventions, which must be compensated because they are carried out solely for system security, are reimbursed to end consumers through network tariffs.
The Federal Network Agency confirmed data supplied by the grid operators. From January to September 2025 the volume of redispatch actions involving foreign nuclear plants reached about 77 gigawatt hours, an increase of roughly 11.6 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, when the volume was 69 GWh.
The data show that German operators sometimes curtail foreign nuclear output to avoid overloading lines when wind and solar production is high (negative redispatch). Conversely, they also ask foreign nuclear operators to boost generation when wind and solar supply falls unexpectedly (positive redispatch). Fraunhofer ISE data confirm that both types of redispatch rely on nuclear capacity abroad.
Since the last German nuclear plant was decommissioned in 2023, the country has become a net importer of electricity. In 2024 Germany drew more than 60 000 GWh from abroad. Nuclear power accounted for the largest share, with 14 331 GWh. France supplied about 9 500 GWh of nuclear electricity, making it the far‑leading supply partner, followed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
According to the report, French nuclear plants were chiefly used in the redispatch operations to stabilise the grid. The specific use of foreign nuclear capacity among the four German transmission operators-Amprion, Tennet, 50 Hertz and TransnetBW-has not been assigned to any single operator; the Federal Network Agency stated that the requirements are the result of a joint optimisation of all four operators.
