GERMANY: September 3, 2007


FRANKFURT - German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel fired another shot at the country's power producers, who want to prolong the life of nuclear plants despite a deal to phase them out.


In an interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, to appear on Saturday, Gabriel called on utilities like E.ON, RWE, Vattenfall Europe and EnBW to shut down their seven oldest reactors by late 2009.

"That would considerably reduce the overall risk from nuclear (energy)," he said.

The proposal would affect Biblis A and B, Brunsbuettel, Neckarwestheim 1, Unterweser, Philippsburg 1 and Isar 1.

The newspaper said Gabriel is not in a position to force Germany's utilities to close the seven plants.

But the social democratic minister has been drawing support from recent problems at Vattenfall's Brunsbuettel and Kruemmel sites, which he said highlighted the risk to safety from nuclear reactors.

Germany has agreed with its utility companies to shut down all 17 atomic power plants by the early 2020s. The companies have subsequently sought legal means to keep them on line, arguing that they reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.


REUTERS NEWS SERVICE