German utility RWE has received a permit from the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy & Climate Protection for the decommissioning and dismantling of the Emsland NPP.
The 1,400 MWe pressurised water reactor (PWR) in Lingen in Lower Saxony was commissioned in 1988 and was one of the last three nuclear units to be closed down in April 2023 in line with Germany’s nuclear phase-out policy. In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, Germany decided to close all 17 of its operation nuclear units, the first eight being closed immediately. The other nine were closed in stages.
RWE Nuclear had applied for the decommissioning and dismantling permit in 2016. Since its shutdown in 2023 the plant ihas been in a posy-operation phase undergoing preparation for dismantling. Among other things, the primary cooling circuit was decontaminated and systems and components that were no longer required were taken out of operation. In future the low and medium-level radioactive waste generated will initially be stored on site.
“We have been waiting for this moment for a long time and will tackle our legal obligation for safe and rapid dismantling with a professionally experienced and highly motivated team of our own staff and partner companies,” said Steffen Kanitz, Head of Nuclear Energy at RWE Power. “All work is subject to supervision by the supervisory authority, which accompanies and supervises the dismantling work with the support of various independent experts. Plant safety, occupational safety and health protection continue to be a very high priority in all activities in efficient dismantling. The first dismantling activities should be the dismantling of the core internals and steam generators.
Dismantling of the plant will take approximately 15 years. RWE expects the plant to be free of any traces of radioactivity and thus able to be released from control under the Atomic Energy Act by 2037. Remaining buildings will then be demolished conventionally.
“Nuclear power in Lower Saxony is history,” said Lower Saxony Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens). He added that Lower Saxony wants to continue on the path of generating electricity from wind and solar power as well as biogas and their storage.
Researched and written by Judith Perera
