Germany to stop fuel rod exports to foreign nuclear plants near border

Exports of fuel rods from Germany to nuclear power plants near the country's border could soon be a thing of the past, according to an article by news agency dpa carried by Focus Online. Environment minister Svenja Schulze reportedly plans to no longer issue permits for exports to plants that are less than 150 kilometres from the German border and started operation before 1989, the article says. This means the power plants Tihange and Doel in Belgium could no longer use fuel rods from Germany. The draft by Schulze's ministry says nuclear plants bear "the risk of severe accidents, hazardous incidents or other events with potentially catastrophic consequences" that occur "across borders." The new rules would therefore be necessary to "minimise the residual risk associated with nuclear power production."

Germany will end nuclear power production at the end of 2022 but has not yet announced an end to production of nuclear power components, such as fuel rods. The relatively old nuclear plants Tihange and Doel have been repeatedly targeted by German politicians who urge Belgium to shut the plants down as these were posing a threat to nearby residents in Germany.