The German government has decided to gradually withdraw nuclear power plants over the next 11 years. The new arrangement overrides a previous decision reached last year to extend plant lifetimes past 2022, which had in its turn overridden an earlier decison for a staggered and total phase-out.
The new scheme is based on a maximum 32-year plant lifetime.
According to the new agreement, formally signed in early June in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi crisis, those stations that are already shut down will stay that way: Biblis A&B, Neckarwestheim 1, Brunsbüttel, Isar 1, Unterweser, Phillipsburg 1, and in addition, Krümmel, which was shut down for repairs at the time.
Following that the closure schedule would be: Grafenrheinfeld in 2015; Gundremmingen B in 2017; Phillipsburg 2 in 2019, Grohnde, Gundremmingen C and Brokdorf in 2021; and finally Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2 in 2022.
In addition, until early 2013, one nuclear power plant will be held in reserve in order to help prevent shortages or stress conditions in the electricity grid.
