Nuclear Decommissioning: Germany turns it to a € 17 billion business

 

Energy groups E.ON and EnBW are tearing down their nuclear plants at massive cost following Germany's decision to abandon nuclear power by 2022, but they are seeking to turn a burden into business by exporting their newfound dismantling skills.

 

Germany is the only country in the world to dump the technology as a direct consequence of Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011, a decision that came as a major blow to the two energy firms which owned most of Germany's 17 operational nuclear stations.

 

E.ON and EnBW have already shut down five plants between them and must close another five by 2022. Decommissioning costs is estimated around 17 billion euros. The complex process of dismantling nuclear plants, presents an unlikely but potentially lucrative business opportunity in a world where dozens of reactors are set to be closed over the next 25 years.