Germany: Nuclear To Be Replaced By Coal And Gas

GWPF
"On Sunday, the parties in Germany's governing coalition agreed to close all the country's reactors no later than 2022. A cabinet meeting is scheduled for June 6 to finalize the legislative text, to be followed by parliamentary hearings. A final approval of the law is due by end-June.

Reactors taken offline immediately after Fukushima (Biblis A and B, Neckarwestheim 1, Isar 1, Unterweser and Philippsburg 1) as well as Brunsbuttel and Krummel are to stay closed. Their combined capacity is 8.5 GW. One is to be put in to cold reserve until 2013 in case of a sharp contraction in margin and a threat of blackout.

The country's nuclear fuel tax has been retained on a per gram basis, with lower output likely to result in lower proceeds.

Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said the final legislation would be "irreversible." He said the vast majority of Germany's 17 reactors would be offline by the end of 2011."