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Germany destroys two nuclear plant cooling towers as part of nuclear phaseout plan

Spectacular cooling tower demolition: Gundremmingen in party mood
Spectacular cooling tower demolition: Gundremmingen in party mood Copyright  AP Photo
Copyright AP Photo
By Euronews
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The two towers, equivalent to roughly 56,000 tonnes of concrete, collapsed in a controlled demolition on Saturday. It comes as part of Germany's nuclear phaseout.

Two cooling towers of the former nuclear power plant in Germay's Bavarian town of Gundremmingen were brought down in a controlled demolition at noon on Saturday.

The plant had served as an important landmark in the town for nearly six decades, bringing numerous new jobs and boosting the local economy.

As part of the country's nuclear phaseout and under Germany's energy transition policy, the Gundremmingen, as well as the Brokdorf, and Grohnde nuclear power plants, had already been decommissioned in December 2021.

The two cooling towers of the decommissioned Gundremmingen nuclear power plant collapse during their demolition, in Gundremmingen, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
The two cooling towers of the decommissioned Gundremmingen nuclear power plant collapse during their demolition, in Gundremmingen, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP

The closure of the plant had been a tough pill to swallow, and yet thousands gathered to watch the removal of the two towers from the town's skyline.

The municipality, who had prepared for a large crowd of onlookers, set up a restricted zone around the power plant.

According to energy company RWE, the demolition could be observed from various watch points in the region. Some pubs also offered public "demolition viewing parties"

How the towers will be blown up

There were three explosions in total. The first was carried out to chase away nearby animals and wildlife. The second brought down the first tower, and the third caused the second tower to collapse.

The sun shines into a cooling tower of the nuclear power station in Gundremmingen, southern Germany. July 2, 2008.
The sun shines into a cooling tower of the nuclear power station in Gundremmingen, southern Germany. July 2, 2008. AP Photo/Christof Stache

Roughly 56,000 tonnes of concrete collapsed in a matter of seconds. Following Saturday's demolition, the dismantling of the plant will further continue, local media report, with completion expected by 2040.

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