nuclear-news

Germany’s Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant demolished after short delay

Construction of the Grafenrheinfeld NPP in the southern state of Bavaria began in 1975 with the plant beginning commercial operations in 1982. It was Germany’s oldest nuclear power plant but was closed in 2015 as part of the government’s policy to transition away from nuclear power.

Germany’s decommissioned nuclear power plant at Grafenrheinfeld has been demolished after a short delay.

The demolition of the plant’s two, 143-metre cooling towers was originally planned to take place at 17.30 local time but was pushed back to almost 20:00 after a pro-atomic energy activist scaled one of the pylons in protest at its destruction.

Police spokesperson Denis Stegner said the unnamed activist chained themselves to the pylon 10 metres above the ground and a special team was deployed to free him before he was taken away by police.

Construction of the Grafenrheinfeld site in the southern state of Bavaria began in 1975 with the plant beginning commercial operations in 1982. It was Germany’s oldest nuclear power plant.

But as part of the government’s policy to transition away from nuclear power, it was closed in 2015.

The then Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said its closure was “a visible signal that the nuclear exit is moving forward.”

“Every nuclear power station that goes offline reduces the so-called residual risk that is linked to the use of nuclear power plants and moves us a step forward in the reorganization of our energy supply,” she said in 2015……………………………………………………………Euro News 17th Aug 2024

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/08/17/germanys-grafenrheinfeld-nuclear-power-plant-demolished-after-short-delay

August 17, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized