Germany • phase-out An agreement that will see the end of nuclear power in Germany has been reached. The compromise deal will see the country’s 19 nuclear reactors operating for a maximum lifespan of 32 years. Under the terms of the deal, reached between the government and the four companies Veba, Viag, RWE and EnBw, nuclear generation will contribute a further 2623 TWh. Also, reprocessing of nuclear fuel will be banned from 1 July 2005, after which spent fuel will be stored on-site until permanent facilities are built.
The quantity of generation will be transferable between individual stations and, with the youngest reactor only a decade or so old, nuclear power could continue to contribute to German supply until 2021.
An accord has also been reached over the inclusion of RWE’s moth-balled Mülheim-Kärlich station and the company has agreed not to pursue damages claims for its early closure.
However, some difficulties remain and the junior Green party coalition members want the agreement passed into law quickly, fearing that threats from opposition parties to reverse the accord would be carried out if and when they return to power.
