Overview
- The 80-meter structure fell at about 14:07 local time after crews used remote-controlled excavators to weaken its supports in a non-explosive demolition.
- Only one of the original four towers remains at the decommissioned plant, with RWE planning its removal next month.
- RWE says the tower debris will be recycled because the cooling towers never contacted radioactive systems, yielding roughly 15,000 tonnes of conventional rubble per tower.
- Separate from the tower debris, about 3,200 tonnes of specifically cleared but lightly radioactive demolition waste remain in dispute despite court rulings permitting disposal at Büttelborn.
- High-level spent fuel stays on site in Castor casks under an interim storage license through 2046, while dismantling that began in 2017 is targeted for completion by the mid-2030s.