A helicopter is circling over the site of the former Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant near Schweinfurt, shipping on the nearby Main River is temporarily closed, and kilometers of barrier tape indicate the exclusion zone: “We have done everything to ensure that the explosion takes place safely and we are convinced that this event will be successful and safe,” says project manager Matthias Aron.
In the evening, the two towers of the plant are to collapse in a controlled manner. Hours before the spectacle, hundreds of onlookers have already settled down in the meadows and fields around the power plant. “If you want to have nice places, you just have to come early,” says Olaf Müller, who is sitting in the shade with his brother and his girlfriend just a few hundred meters from the power plant. The trio has brought a picnic blanket, parasol, camping chairs and a cool box. The three are hoping for impressive images for a slow-motion film that they want to show to the family.
Nuclear waste issue still unresolved
The fact that the 143-meter-high towers will soon be history does not bother the 55-year-old from Hofheim, around 30 kilometers away. His family has always been against nuclear power – according to him, the most expensive way of generating electricity. And an energy generation that will keep humanity busy forever. “There will never be a final storage facility,” says Müller. In his view, it would be smarter to store the nuclear waste above ground on the former power plant site, so that there would be more control over the Castors than in underground landfills.
The Jüngling family from Haßfurt (Haßberge district) have settled on the other side of the Main near Bergrheinfeld – complete with a folding table, snacks and games. “We mainly play rummy,” says 39-year-old Nicole. Everyone is a little excited, especially her eleven-year-old son, who urged them to come. “I like it when things are blown up,” says Maximilian. It’s supposed to start at 6:30 p.m. – and within 30 seconds the concrete giants will be nothing but piles of rubble.
Dismantling has been underway since 2018
The nuclear power plant south of Schweinfurt was the oldest active nuclear power plant in Germany until it was shut down. Construction of the power plant began in 1974. The first chain reaction was initiated at the end of 1981, and electricity flowed into the grid from June 1982. It was in service for 33 years until 2015. Dismantling has been underway there since 2018 – and will probably take another ten years.