Germany powers down its last three nuclear plants

Germany switched off on Saturday its remaining three nuclear power plants as part of a long-planned transition to renewable energy.

The shutdown of Emsland, Neckarwestheim II and Isar II came shortly before midnight.

It's "the end of an era," the RWE energy firm said in a statement confirming the three reactors had been disconnected from the grid.

Critics maintain that the technology is unsafe and unsustainable, citing catastrophes at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima.

Advocates of atomic energy, however, say fossil fuels should be phased out first amid global efforts to tackle climate change, arguing nuclear power generates significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions and can be a safe source of energy when managed properly.

The exit plan was accelerated by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.