Germany's energy policy could cost some €1.4 trillion ($1.8 trillion) by 2030 even before the cost of the nuclear shutdown is taken into account.

After two legal rejections Germany's nuclear fuel tax has been supported by a regional court in the latest episode of a complex legal battle that looks set to continue for years.

The head of German industrial giant Siemens has said the company will withdraw its remaining nuclear power offerings and leave the industry.

A nuclear reactor will not be kept on standby for Germany's winter months, the network agency has decided. Threats to grid stability are real, it said, but more fossil fuel and grid improvements should ensure power supplies.

Up to 11,000 jobs are under threat as EOn moves to meet the challenges posed by Germany's new nuclear policy. Only yesterday another utility, RWE, announced the shutdowns had so far cost it €900 million.