The European Commission has asked EU ministers to extend until December 2009 special tax advantages offered by the German government to Hochtemperatur-Kernkraftwerk to enable the company to completely dismantle the Uentrop THTR (thorium high-temperature reactor), shutdown since 1988. The company was given this status for 25 years from 1974, to construct, equip and operate Uentrop, a 300MWe demonstration pebble bed reactor with steam turbine. It was closed after five years of operation after suffering safety problems.
