- Remnants of debris and dust linger - explosions of nuclear cooling structures
With a deafening boom, the colossal smokestacks of the defunct nuclear power plant situated in Grafenrheinfeld, close to Schweinfurt in Bavaria, were demolished. Fifty years since the project's initiation, all that's left of the former emblems of high-risk technology are merely two modest mounds of debris.
Before the explosion, there was an incident, as per police reports. A man ascended a utility pole and was subsequently apprehended, causing a delay in the demolition. The reasons behind his actions remain undisclosed.
The quantity of explosives required to fracture the approximately 34,000 tons of reinforced concrete, metals, and plastics was not disclosed by the responsible Thuringian explosives company. Details like the number of holes to be bored and filled with explosives were also kept confidential.
Throngs of spectators witnessed the spectacle as the two colossi crumbled in a flash in the evening. The area was sectioned off for safety, and those eager to approach had to traverse on foot or bicycle, as the police had blocked access roads.
The NPP situated south of Schweinfurt was Germany's oldest functioning nuclear power plant until its deactivation. Construction commenced in 1974, the first nuclear reaction occurred at the year's end, and power was provided to the grid in June 1982. It operated for 33 years until 2015. Since 2018, dismantling has been in progress, which is projected to continue for another ten years, according to project manager Matthias Aron.
The smokestacks stood 143 meters tall, with a base diameter of approximately 105 meters and a top diameter of 64 meters.
Not a unique scenario
As per the power plant operator Preussenelektra, this was the second time in Germany that smokestacks of a defunct nuclear power plant were demolished with explosives. In May 2020, two smokestacks of the nuclear power plant in Baden-Württemberg's Philippsburg were also taken down in this manner, yet this transpired without public scrutiny due to COVID-19 restrictions.
For the Grafenrheinfeld explosion, four out of five 380-kilovolt high-voltage lines that intersect in Grafenrheinfeld and are essential for Europe's power supply had to be shut down to avoid power outages from excessive dust.
Q&A about the Demolition
After analyzing the structure of the defunct nuclear power plant, it was decided that the smokestacks, with their other parts of circular cross-section, would be safely demolished using controlled explosions. Despite the initial delay due to an incident, the demolition process proceeded, and the smokestacks, each of a significant height and base diameter, were eventually reduced to mere debris.
