Germany agrees to extend life of nuclear power stations by average of 12 years

By Mail Foreign Service
Updated: 03:11 EST, 6 September 2010


Germany's coalition government has agreed to extend the lifespan of its nuclear power stations after marathon talks on energy policy.

The agreement ended months of division in the coalition over how long Germany's 17 nuclear power plants should run beyond their current limits.

Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said after the meeting in Berlin that the lifespans would be extended by 12 years on average.

Energy policy: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen have agreed to extend the life of the country's 17 nuclear power plants

Energy policy: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen have agreed to extend the life of the country's 17 nuclear power plants

Under the previous limits, the last of the plants would be due to close by 2021.

Mr Roettgen said: 'We've agreed that older nuclear plants will receive an extension of eight years, and newer ones operating with different technical standards will get a 14-year extension.'

The debate has also seen nuclear power plant operators clash with environmentalists, with around 1,000 protesters staging a demonstration outside the chancellery where the meeting was held.

The agreement is set to be the cornerstone of Chancellor Angela Merkel's broader energy strategy which will be decided later this month.

She has invested much political capital in the strategy, at the same time as her government has witnessed a slump in opinion polls and ahead of elections early next year.

German people are sceptical about the safety risks of nuclear power and unresolved questions about nuclear waste storage.

Sceptical: The deal would see power plants lifespan extended by an average of 14 years, but critics have threatened to block it in the German parliament

Sceptical: The deal would see power plants lifespan extended by an average of 14 years, but critics have threatened to block it in the German parliament

Mr Roettgen said the agreement foresaw long-term support for developing renewables of up to 4billion euros a year.

He said the deal would see utility companies pay nine euros per megawatt-hour of nuclear electricity.

The contribution from utility companies should amount to 300million euros per year in 2011 and 2012, then drop to 200million euros from 2013 to 2016.

Germany's main energy companies including E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall.

Sunday's meeting also set down plans for a separate nuclear fuel element tax intended to raise 2.3billion euros a year.

Opposition Social Democrats (SPD) said they would stage a legal challenge if Mrs Merkel's centre-right coalition attempted to pass the deal without approval from the upper house of parliament.

The coalition lost control of the upper house - the Bundesrat - after a regional election defeat in May.

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