The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant is set to lose £1 billion worth of business from Germany. The German government yesterday announced a timetable to end the reprocessing of its spent nuclear fuel.
BNFL yesterday insisted the move would not threaten the future of its new Thorp facility despite German contracts representing some 10 per cent of its current order book.
The German Environment Minister, Mr Jurgen Trittin, said yesterday he expected legislation setting out the end of nuclear energy use to go to parliament by January 27th. The Green party leader said gradual shutdown included a ban on exporting German nuclear waste for reprocessing.
The Irish Green MEP, Ms Nuala Ahern, said the German position gave the Government the opportunity to take a tougher stance in the run-up to next week's meeting in Dublin of parties to the OSPAR convention on marine pollution.
The shutting down of Germany's 19 reactors, which provide a third of its energy, is scheduled to begin after a 12-month consultation period with the plant operators. The operators will be obliged to store their own spent fuel.
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