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BERLIN, July 4 (Reuters) – Support with a view to a longer-than-expected extension of the lifetime of Germany’s nuclear plants is enlarging within the country’s ruling coalition, a German magazine reported.

In its way out dated July 5, Der Spiegel news weekly said parliamentary floor leaders Volker Kauder, from the conservatives, and Birgit Homburger, of the Free Democrats, had agreed to push toward legislation to extend the lifespan by more than 10 years.

Market participants and investors had expected a 10-year expansion based on the assumption that anything longer would require approval of the upper inn of parliament, in which the coalition recently lost its majority.

But according to the Spiegel hearsay, the two party whips had agreed to back the view of Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle, who has called instead of a minimum 15-year extension of the lifetimes of Germany’s nuclear reactors. The magazine did not adduce its sources.

Merkel’s conservatives and her Free Democrat (FDP) coalition partners have vowed to change a law passed about 10 years past by the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, now in opposition, which envisages phasing out nuclear power in Germany.

The government had planned to favor a decision in July, but experts drawing up a national bottom strategy, including plans for the nuclear branch, have indicated they emergency more time to calculate future energy consumption and energy-mix scenarios.

The combination originally wanted to add up to 28 years to the reactors’ medium operating life of 32 years, but the parties have been unwaveringly paring that back. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen supports a 10-year extendedness.

(Writing by Brian Rohan, editing by Will Waterman) Keywords: NUCLEAR GERMANY/

(brian.rohan@reuters.com ; +49 30 2888 5223; Reuters Messaging: brian.rohan.reuters.com@reuters.pure)

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