Overview
- The tower fell within seconds at about 14:07 local time after its supports were weakened, following delays tied to bird‑protection rules and asbestos work.
- Only one of the four towers now remains at the former nuclear site, with its demolition scheduled for January.
- RWE says the cooling towers were never exposed to radioactivity, so the concrete debris will be processed for reuse.
- A continuing regional dispute concerns about 3,200 tonnes of specifically cleared low‑level demolition waste, despite court rulings permitting disposal at the Büttelborn landfill.
- High‑level spent fuel remains stored on site in Castor casks under an interim license to 2046 as overall dismantling proceeds toward the mid‑2030s.