Industry group the German Atomic Forum (Deutsche Atomic Forum, DAtF) has celebrated its 50th year according to World Nuclear News. DAtF president Walter Hohlefelder said in the celebration event that the peaceful use of nuclear energy has led to the development of wealth and welfare of Germany and ending nuclear energy use would not be without negative consequences for German business and industry.

Germany has a policy to limit the operating lives of existing reactors and subsidise renewables with feed-in tariffs but the country will increasingly struggle to meet its carbon reduction targets with the planned reductions in nuclear energy which currently supplies 25% of electricity.

Finance minister Karl-Theodor von und zu Guttenberg has stated that longer lives for nuclear plants would be necessary until renewables were more practical.