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Cooling towers of the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant fall: a symbol of energy history disappears!
On October 25, 2025, the cooling towers of the decommissioned Gundremmingen nuclear power plant were blown up. Over 30,000 spectators watched the action.
Cooling towers of the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant fall: a symbol of energy history disappears!
On October 25, 2025, a significant step was taken in the dismantling of the decommissioned Gundremmingen nuclear power plant in Bavaria. At exactly 12:00 p.m., the scheduled demolition of the impressive cooling towers, which, with a height of 160 meters and a weight of 56,000 tons each, dominated the landscape, took place. Around 30,000 onlookers were present to witness this historic moment, while the rainy weather meant there was little dust, as [BR.de](https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/ende-eines-wahrzeichens-kuehltuerme-in-gundremmingen-ge Sprengt,V0dKJcT) reports.
The blast lasted just 15 seconds and went absolutely according to plan, thanks to meticulous planning over more than a year by RWE and a specialist Thuringian company. A total of 1,800 holes were drilled into the massive structure to hold around 600 kilograms of explosives. The cooling towers, once needed to cool the plant's heated cooling water, collapsed vertically and on time, which astonished not only the spectators.
Dismantling and new perspectives for Gundremmingen
The cooling towers were part of the larger dismantling process of the nuclear power plant, which finally went offline in 2021 when the last unit was switched off. From 1984 until it was shut down, the power plant produced around 20 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which corresponded to around a quarter of Bavaria's electricity production. Overall, Gundremmingen was one of the most important nuclear sites in Germany, with the first unit put into operation in 1966, according to Tagesschau.de.
The dismantling of the entire power plant is expected to take until the 2030s. Meanwhile, old fuel rods are stored safely in the interim nuclear storage facility. However, critics question whether this storage could be necessary until the next century, since the permit is valid until 2046.
Sustainable visions for the region
Meanwhile, Mayor Tobias Bühler is optimistic about the future of Gundremmingen as an energy location. In addition to one of the largest battery storage systems in Germany, whose groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to take place next week, plans are also in progress for a new gas power plant and the expansion of photovoltaic systems in the region. The battery storage will have a capacity of around 700 megawatt hours and is intended to ensure the sustainable use of solar power.
The dismantling of Gundremmingen is part of a larger trend, as electricity has been produced from nuclear power plants in Germany for 63 years, with the last three plants going offline on April 15, 2023. The entire process of dismantling all nuclear power plants is complex and usually takes 10 to 15 years until complete release from nuclear supervision, as Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten mentions.
Some nuclear power advocates took the opportunity to demonstrate on the edge of the exclusion zone, showing the ambivalence of the issue. But the majority of spectators experienced the explosion with a mixture of joy and sadness, while at the same time looking at the promising developments in Gundremmingen.