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Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany | Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Germany has temporarily shut down seven of its nuclear power plants while it reconsiders its nuclear strategy. | Germany has temporarily shut down seven of its nuclear power plants while it reconsiders its nuclear strategy. |
Chancellor Angela Merkel said that all reactors operational before 1980 would be taken offline, and safety checks carried out on the remaining plants. | |
The move comes after concerns about radiation leaks at a Japanese plant after last Friday's earthquake. | |
The EU has also reached agreement on "stress tests" of all European nuclear facilities. | |
"We want to look at the risk and safety issues in the light of events in Japan," the European energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger said. | |
'Out of service' | |
Chancellor Merkel also pointed to the safety concerns behind the German move. | |
"In light of the situation, we will carry out a safety check of all nuclear plants," she said. | |
"Those nuclear power plants which began operation before 1980 will be provisionally shut down for the duration of the moratorium. They will be out of service. | "Those nuclear power plants which began operation before 1980 will be provisionally shut down for the duration of the moratorium. They will be out of service. |
"Safety is the priority. Those are the criteria by which we acted today." | "Safety is the priority. Those are the criteria by which we acted today." |
All safety questions would be answered by 15 June, she said. | |
Last year, Germany decided to extend the life of its 17 nuclear power plants by 12 years, but that decision was suspended for three months on Monday. | Last year, Germany decided to extend the life of its 17 nuclear power plants by 12 years, but that decision was suspended for three months on Monday. |
The government had faced growing pressure for the extension to be scrapped. | The government had faced growing pressure for the extension to be scrapped. |
More than a quarter of all German electricity comes from nuclear power. | More than a quarter of all German electricity comes from nuclear power. |
The Swiss government has also suspended decisions on its nuclear programme. | The Swiss government has also suspended decisions on its nuclear programme. |
Concerns are growing about radiation leaks at a nuclear plant in Japan that has been hit by a third explosion in four days following last week's earthquake and resulting tsunami. | Concerns are growing about radiation leaks at a nuclear plant in Japan that has been hit by a third explosion in four days following last week's earthquake and resulting tsunami. |
The blast occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo - which engineers had been trying to stabilise after two other reactors exploded. | The blast occurred at reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo - which engineers had been trying to stabilise after two other reactors exploded. |