Germany will close all seven nuclear reactors that had gone into operation before 1980, and it is currently unclear whether they will be restarted, writes Reuters.
The announcement was made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the several explosions in the last few days in Fukushima at one of the largest nuclear plants in Japan, following a 9-degree earthquake that devastated the country. "Nuclear power stations that have started before 1980 will be stopped during the moratorium" said the German Chancellor on Tuesday.
The announcement was made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the several explosions in the last few days in Fukushima at one of the largest nuclear plants in Japan, following a 9-degree earthquake that devastated the country. "Nuclear power stations that have started before 1980 will be stopped during the moratorium" said the German Chancellor on Tuesday.
The Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said that it is not yet clear whether the plants closed during the moratorium will ever be restarted.
Merkel announced on Monday a three-month provisional mortarium life extension of nuclear plants, while the nuclear accident in Japan has exacerbated the traditional hostility of the German population against atomic energy.
As promised in the campaign of 2009, the Chancellor decided to extend the 12 years average lifetime of the reactors, while environmentalists allied with the Social Democrats have scheduled a decade ago a gradual stop in 2020.
According to the European Nuclear Society, there were 17 active nuclear plants in Germany (as of the end of last year) with an electricity production of 21,500 MW and an annual quantity of electricity delivered of about 150 billion kW.
This is the beginning of the end of the German development. Without energy they are lost... or totaly dependent of Russia that might deliver them the necessary natural gas.
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