The German authorities have decided to close half of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the country, Associated Press reported.
On December 31, three of the six remaining nuclear power plants stopped working. The remaining three are planned to close before the end of next year, after which the German energy sector will completely switch to other energy sources.
The decision to phase out nuclear energy was made in 2002 under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. His successor and now former Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed this decision after the Japanese nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima in 2011.
By 2030 German authorities also plan to abandon all forms of energy produced using coal.
At present, there is no consensus about the use of atomic energy. Many experts and authorities in some countries also consider it environmentally friendly and appropriate to reject harmful emissions.