The move is a part of the country’s plan, initiated four years ago, to close all its nuclear power plants by the end of 2022, reported The Associated Press.
Commissioned in 1981, the Grafenrheinfeld is the first reactor to be shut down since the country closed the eight oldest of its 17 nuclear reactors in 2011, in wake of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The plant’s power generation accounted to about 1.6% of total power output in the country in 2014, reported Reuters.
The country plans to close one of the reactors at the 2×1344MW Gundremmingen plant, which is scheduled to be completely closed by the end of 2017.
Germany Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said that the Grafenrheinfeld shutdown "is a visible signal that the nuclear exit is moving forward.
"Every nuclear power station that goes offline reduces the so-called residual risk that is linked to the use of nuclear power plants and moves us a step forward in the reorganization of our energy supply."
Germany has set a target to generate 80% of its total power generation from renewable sources by 2050.
