Berlin agrees to extend operating times of nuclear reactors
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Sept 6, IRNA -- The German government agreed to proposals extending the operating times of nuclear power reactors by an average 12 years beyond their present deadline, IRNA office in Berlin reported on Monday.
The cabinet reached a late-night deal on Sunday whereby the country's 17 nuclear power plants run on average 12 years longer than planned, with the last one due to shut down by 2021.
As part of the agreement, those nuclear reactors built after 1980 will remain online for an additional 14 years, while the older models will stay operational for another eight years.
However, under the new plan the country is to generate electricity from its nuclear power plants until around 2040.
Critics of the deal point to constitutional questions which have yet to be resolved.
Germany has 17 active nuclear reactors, which in 2009 accounted for 22.6 per cent of the electricity generated in the country.
Slightly more than half of Germans support an end to the use of nuclear energy, according to various surveys conducted in recent months.
OT**1416
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 260762
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