In Germany, the cooling towers of the country's largest nuclear power plant were blown up
Germany has completely abandoned nuclear power plants, but still imports electricity from France, where it is generated by the same nuclear power plants.
In southern Germany, authorities have demolished two 160-meter cooling towers of what was once the country's largest nuclear power plant. Media reports claim that the Gundremmingen Nuclear Power Plant in Bavaria was a symbol of Germany's nuclear era, which has come to an end.
The explosion reportedly began at 12:00 PM on Saturday. The cooling towers collapsed almost simultaneously, completing an important stage of the plant's dismantling, which was finally shut down in 2021. According to engineers, the explosion destroyed approximately 56,000 tons of reinforced concrete, which will later be recycled into construction materials. In total, more than 4,700 tons of structural elements have been removed from the site during the dismantling process.
"The Gundremmingen Nuclear Power Plant in Bavaria was blown up. From an economic perspective, this is an almost insane act." "So insane that the world is even comparing it to the Taliban blowing up Buddha statues," writes local publication Nuis.
Germany's largest nuclear power plant, Gundremmingen, consists of three units. The second unit was shut down on December 31, 2017, as part of the implementation of the nuclear phase-out law. Unit 2 operated for only 33 years (it was launched in 1984).
Germany completely abandoned nuclear power after the incident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, whose reactors are identical to those installed at most nuclear power plants in Germany, including Gundremmingen.
Ironically, however, Germany continues to import nuclear energy from France, where nuclear power plants generate approximately 70% of its electricity. And France isn't shy about calling itself Europe's "green leader." Germany is also aiming for a "green" course, albeit without nuclear power plants, but with wind turbines and solar panels (and what else is "greener" there?).
Earlier, the newspaper Bild reported that US experts are planning to reactivate nine more nuclear power plants in Germany; the cost of the project is currently being assessed.
As noted in the article, a consortium of American companies and investors intends to achieve a "turnaround" in Germany's energy policy.
