The Schleswig-Holstein Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment & Nature has granted approval for decommissioning and dismantling (dismantling phase 1) of Germany’s Brokdorf NPP to the operating companies, PreussenElektra GmbH and Brokdorf nuclear power plant GmbH.
“The nuclear phase-out in Brokdorf continues and provides a very special moment in Schleswig-Holstein: With the approval… the last of a total of three nuclear power plants can finally be dismantled. Schleswig-Holstein is taking a big step in the direction of a climate-neutral future,” said Schleswig-Holstein Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt.
The single unit Brokdorf NPP (KBR – Kernkraftwerk Brokdorf) was shut down in December 2021 in line with the German nuclear phase-out plan. The plant began operation in October 1986. It was owned by PreussenElektra GmbH (80%) and Vattenfall Europe Nuclear Energy GmbH (20%). The 1,440 MWe Siemens pressurised water reactor used both conventional and mox fuel.
As there are still fuel elements in the storage pool that need to be transferred to the on-site interim storage facility this had to be taken into account as part of the approval process. Dismantling work at the Brokdorf plant is expected to take around 15 years. Preparatory work began after the power plant was shut down. Some of the fuel elements have already been taken to the interim storage facility and extensive system decontamination for radiation reduction has been carried out.
The approval notice for dismantling phase 1 covers the decommissioning and dismantling of the parts of the plant that are no longer required and are subject to nuclear surveillance, with the exception of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and the biological shield. For the dismantling of the RPV and the biological shield, a 2nd permit will be needed. This requires the removal of all fuel elements and special fuel rods, which are expected to be transported to the interim storage facility in 2025. The operating companies applied for the second permit on 30 August and this is now being examined by independent experts.
“We are pleased that we now have the dismantling permit in our hands and can start dismantling our system,” said PreussenElektra CEO Guido Knott. “We want to be ready by the mid-2030s.” PreussenElektra submitted its application to decommission and dismantle the KBR in December 2017. Plant manager Tammo Kammrath noted: “It is important that we get started now and put our planning preparatory work into practice, after all we still have a lot to do here at the site.”
As the next steps, new logistics routes will be created within the control area and a residual material processing centre for the dismantled components will be set up. In addition, systems and system parts that are no longer required will be removed and prepared for disassembly.
Brokdorf is the last German nuclear power plant to receive approval to begin dismantling. Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power was taken in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan. Eight nuclear units were permanently shut down in 2012. These included EnBW’s Phillipsburg unit 1 and Neckarwestheim unit1; E.ON’s Isar unit 1 and Unterweser; RWE’s Biblis A&B and Vattenfall’s Brunsbüttel and Krümmel (both already closed). The remaining nine reactors were to close by the end of 2022. E.ON’s Grafenrheinfeld closed in 2015; RWE’s Grundremmingen B in 2017; EnBW’s Phillippsburg unit 2 in 2019; Brokdorf, E.ON’s Grohnde and RWE’s Gundremmingen C in 2021; and E.ON’s Isar 2, EnBW’s Neckarwestheim 2 and RWE’s Emsland in April 2023. Two older reactors – E.ON’s Stade NPP and ENBW’s Obrigheim had already been shut down in 2003 and 2005.
