MORE than three-quarters of Germany's nuclear power plants are offline due to maintenance work or shutdowns ordered by the government after Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, utility companies say.

Only four of the country's 17 nuclear power plants were online after energy utility RWE AG took its Emsland plant off the grid, temporarily giving renewable energies the edge on their nuclear counterparts.

Anti-nuclear protesters in northern Germany let fly with balloons Credit:AP

Chancellor Angela Merkel said this weekend that 2022 was ''a good time'' for Germany to end nuclear power, backing a proposal by the Bavarian wing of her party.

She described as ''an important contribution'' the scenario set out by the Christian Social Union.