Demolition work at Gundremmingen has been conducted in stages since its closure at the end of 2021. Approximately 4,700 tons of construction materials have been removed from the site. Specialists estimate that the explosion destroyed about 56,000 tons of reinforced concrete, which will be recycled into gravel and other construction raw materials.
Ulrike Mattes, an engineer at Thüringer Sprenggesellschaft, stated that the towers were designed to tilt slightly and fall onto a small area, effectively collapsing inward. More than a thousand holes for charges were drilled for the demolition work. Specific details of the technical process will be revealed after all work is completed.
The Gundremmingen Nuclear Power Plant holds significant historical importance for nuclear energy in Germany. The first large reactor in the Federal Republic of Germany was launched here in 1966. Following the disaster at the Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, Germany decided to completely phase out nuclear energy, receiving support from the Bundestag, which voted for the initiative with 513 votes out of 600.
In 2022, Germany shut down half of the remaining nuclear power plants, continuing its move towards a complete phase-out of this sector.
