Final moments before detonation:
Gundremmingen Nuclear Power Plant's Cooling Towers to be Demolished
The decommissioned Gundremmingen nuclear power plant, one of the largest nuclear sites in Germany, will see a significant milestone in its dismantling process on October 25, as the cooling towers are scheduled for demolition. The power plant, located near the state border with Baden-Württemberg, went online in the Swabian community in 1966, with Blocks B and C completed together in 1984 and going into operation at intervals of a few months. Block A was shut down after a decade and several severe malfunctions. The third block was decommissioned at the end of 2021.
Since the shutdown, the nuclear facility has been undergoing dismantling. Approximately 4,600 to 4,700 tons of material have been removed from the buildings during this process. The demolition of the cooling towers will be the first visible sign of the ongoing dismantling process.
The demolition will be carried out by the Thuringian explosives company based in Kaulsdorf, which previously demolished the cooling towers of the former nuclear power plant Grafenrheinfeld in Lower Franconia. More than 1,000 drill holes will be necessary for the demolition of the cooling towers, and the exact number of holes and amount of explosives will be announced after the explosion for security reasons.
The two cooling towers, standing at approximately 160 meters high, will tilt slightly to the side after the detonations and then collapse on a relatively small surface. To ensure safety, no parking spaces will be designated for viewers of the demolition, and significant restrictions will be in place due to a large exclusion zone around the cooling towers.
A registered demonstration by nuclear power supporters is planned in connection with the demolition in Gundremmingen. However, a similar protest in Grafenrheinfeld delayed the explosion by about one and a half hours, as a supporter occupied a power pole in the exclusion zone. The man was recently sentenced to a fine for the illegal protest.
The demolition of the cooling towers at the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant is scheduled for October 25 at exactly 12:00 noon. The cooling towers will fall at intervals of 15 seconds. It marks the beginning of a new phase in the dismantling process of the once operational power plant.
Read also:
- Celebrated Title: Cheesemakers Blessed Upon
- Construction and renovation projects in Cham county granted €24.8 million focus on energy efficiency
- Threat looms over an ancient rock art site in Australia as the government prolongs the existence of a giant gas facility nearby
- Weekly proceedings in the Federal Diet (Bundestag)
