Germany shuts Philippsburg nuclear plant as it phases out atomic energy

Germany is shutting down one of its seven remaining nuclear power plants as part of a planned phase-out of atomic energy production by the end of 2022.

Utility company EnBW has said it will take the Philippsburg Nuclear Power Plant off the grid at 7pm (18:00 GMT) on Tuesday. The plant’s license to operate expires at midnight.

Under its “energy transition” plan, Germany aims to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources over the coming decades. Earlier this year, the government agreed to stop producing electricity from coal-fired plants by 2038 at the latest.

Proponents of nuclear power argue that shutting down the remaining reactors will endanger Germany’s energy security, making it more reliant on greenhouse-gas-producing coal and gas and on electricity imported from neighboring countries that still have atomic plants, AP said.