German Utility Considers Legal Action After Refusal Of Production Application
Written by NucNet
Monday, 16 June 2008
16 Jun (NucNet): German utility Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg (EnBW) says
it may take "further legal steps" after the country's federal
environment ministry (BMU) rejected an application for the transfer of
electricity production rights from one reactor unit to another.
EnBW said after the BMU announcement on 12 June 2008: "We continue to believe that our application is legally acceptable, well founded and correct. We will now investigate the decision and explicitly retain the right to take further legal steps."
EnBW had applied in December 2006 to transfer a total of 46.9 terawatt hours of electricity production rights from Neckarwestheim-2, the country's newest nuclear unit, to Neckarwestheim-1.
The purpose of the application was to extend the operating lifetime of Neckarwestheim-1 by about eight years until 2017. Such a transfer would shorten the operating lifetime of Neckarwestheim-2 by five years, meaning it would cease operations in 2017.
The utility filed a formal legal complaint in March 2007 against BMU's delay in responding to its application for the transfer. The court postponed a ruling until after BMU's decision.
German law requires a gradual phase-out of the country's nuclear plants. However, it has been possible to transfer lifetime production rights from one nuclear plant to another.
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Nuclear Extensions Needed For 'Realistic' German Energy Policy, Says Study (News No. 20, 24 January 2007)
German Utility Asks Court To Decide On N-Plant Production Application (News No. 72, 22 March 2007)
German Utility Chief Urges Rethink On Nuclear Phaseout Plans (News in Brief No. 17, 18 February 2008)
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