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E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall [VATN.UL] are due
to switch off their nuclear plants by a 2022 deadline set by
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government after the Fukushima
disaster in Japan in 2011.
A decision by E.ON to restructure its business and spin off its
conventional power plants raised additional fears that taxpayers
may end up footing a portion of the bill for dismantling the
nuclear plants and storing waste.
"There are significant financial risks coming up for the state,"
said Michael Mueller, head of the government's task force
charged with finding a disposal site for nuclear waste.
The costs for the nuclear exit could rise to up to 70 billion
euros over the next decades, meaning that the 36 billion euros
($38 billion) in provisions set aside by the four nuclear
operators were not sufficient, he added.
Spokesmen from E.ON and EnBW said in separate statements that
the companies' provisions were sufficient and that they were
certified on a regular basis by external auditors.
Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has told lawmakers from his
center-left Social Democrat (SPD) party that he wants to look
into creating a public body to oversee the multibillion-euro
risks associated with the nuclear switch-off.
The government is sounding out the option of subjecting the
balance sheets of the four nuclear power plant operators to a
stress test to ensure their provisions are adequate.
(Reporting by Michael Nienaber, Markus Wacket, Vera Eckert and
Chris Steitz, editing by William Hardy)
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