Germany's Oldest Nuclear Power Plant Set for Explosive Demolition
Two cooling towers at the Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant are set to be demolished with explosives on the evening of August 16, drawing hundreds of spectators.
The demolition of the towers, each standing 143 meters tall and 105 meters wide, is scheduled for 6:30 pm on August 16, 2024. The explosion is expected to produce 55,000 tonnes of concrete rubble. Grafenrheinfeld, located in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, is Germany’s oldest nuclear power plant, which began operations in 1982 and was shut down in 2015 as part of the German government's move away from nuclear energy.
During its operation, the plant supplied 11.5 percent of Bavaria's energy, according to E.ON.
Spectators from around Germany are expected to gather to witness the dramatic demolition. The site, south of Schweinfurt, will be visible from surrounding fields and beyond safety barriers.
Project leader Matthias Aron explained that the demolition will be staggered, with one tower detonating 15 seconds before the other, and each tower will take around 30 seconds to collapse. The resulting concrete rubble will be used to fill the collecting basins beneath the towers.