Trackers · Decommissioning
Nuclear decommissioning tracker
What happens after a nuclear plant closes? This tracker follows reactor sites being decommissioned worldwide: who is dismantling each one, which strategy it uses, what it is expected to cost and how far cleanup has gone.
New to decommissioning? The nuclear decommissioning market in 2026: size, players, pipeline
72 sites · updated · last full review
Key numbers
- Tracked sites
- 7246 active dismantling · 6 SAFSTOR · 5 site restoration · 4 fuel removal · 4 license terminated · 3 shut down · 3 restart planned · 1 planning
- Permanently shut down power reactors worldwide
- 217 (110.8 GW)IAEA PRIS count; only a small minority have been fully dismantled. IAEA PRIS, 2026-01
- US reactor units on the NRC decommissioning list
- 21Includes the NS Savannah and two units being prepared for restart, Crane (TMI-1) and Duane Arnold. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2026-09-14
- US decommissioning trust funds
- ~$100bnHeld at end-2024, up from $64.7 billion at end-2018, according to NRC data compiled by the World Nuclear Association. World Nuclear Association, 2024
- Sellafield clean-up cost
- £136bn to 2125Undiscounted cost of decommissioning and cleaning up Sellafield, including Calder Hall, up 18.8% on the 2019 estimate. UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, 2025-06-04
- EnBW dismantling bill, five German units
- ~€10bnExpected total to dismantle EnBW's reactors at Obrigheim, Neckarwestheim and Philippsburg, paid from operator provisions. SWR, 2025-04
Every site
One record per site. Each row links to a page with its current state, a dated milestone log and the sources behind every figure.
1–10 of 72 sites
| Name | Country | Status | Strategy | Unit count | Decommissioning contractor | Final shutdown | Target completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant | Sweden | Active dismantling | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | UNNU consortium (NUKEM/Uniper Nuclear Services) for RPVs | 2005 | 2028 |
| Berkeley (Magnox) | United Kingdom | SAFSTOR | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | Nuclear Restoration Services | 1989 | — |
| Biblis Nuclear Power Plant (Units A and B) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2011-08-06 | — |
| Bradwell (Magnox) | United Kingdom | SAFSTOR | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | Nuclear Restoration Services | — | — |
| Brennilis (Monts d'Arrée EL-4) | France | Active dismantling | Mixed | 1 | — | 1985-07-31 | 2041 |
| Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant (KBR) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2021-12-31 | — |
| Brunsbüttel Nuclear Power Plant (KKB) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2011-08-06 | — |
| Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant | Taiwan | Fuel removal | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2019-07 | 2044 |
| Chooz A | France | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | Westinghouse Electric France / Nuvia (vessel) | 1991 | — |
| Crystal River Unit 3 | United States | Site restoration | Immediate dismantling | 1 | Accelerated Decommissioning Partners (NorthStar/Orano) | 2013-02-20 | 2027 |
| Doel Nuclear Power Plant (Units 1-3) | Belgium | Shut down | Immediate dismantling | 3 | — | 2025-11 | — |
| Dounreay (DFR and PFR fast reactors)low confidence | United Kingdom | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | Nuclear Restoration Services | 1994 | — |
| Dresden Unit 1 | United States | SAFSTOR | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 1 | — | 1978-10-31 | 2071 |
| Duane Arnold Energy Center | United States | Restart planned | — | 1 | — | 2020-08-10 | — |
| Dungeness B | United Kingdom | Fuel removal | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | — | 2021-06 | — |
| Emsland Nuclear Power Plant (KKE) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2023-04-15 | 2037 |
| Fermi Unit 1 (Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant) | United States | SAFSTOR | Mixed | 1 | — | 1972 | 2032 |
| Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant | France | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | EDF / Cyclife Engineering | 2020-06-30 | 2048 |
| Fort Calhoun Station | United States | Site restoration | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2016-10-24 | 2026 |
| Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Units 1-6) | Japan | Fuel removal | Immediate dismantling | 6 | — | 2014-01-31 | 2051 |
| Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station (Units 1-4) | Japan | Fuel removal | Immediate dismantling | 4 | — | 2019 | — |
| GE Vallecitos (VBWR and EVESR) | United States | Active dismantling | Mixed | 2 | NorthStar Group Services | — | 2030 |
| Genkai Units 1 and 2 | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2019 | — |
| Grafenrheinfeld Nuclear Power Plant (KKG) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2015-06-27 | 2035 |
| Greifswald (Lubmin) Nuclear Power Plant | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 5 | EWN | 1990-12-18 | — |
| Grohnde Nuclear Power Plant (KWG) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2021-12-31 | 2039 |
| Gundremmingen Nuclear Power Plant (Units B and C) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2021-12-31 | — |
| Hamaoka Units 1 and 2 | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2009-01 | 2042 |
| Hinkley Point B | United Kingdom | Active dismantling | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | Nuclear Restoration Services | 2022-08 | — |
| Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 | United States | License terminated | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 1 | — | 1976 | 2021 |
| Hunterston B | United Kingdom | Active dismantling | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | Nuclear Restoration Services | 2022-01 | — |
| Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant | Lithuania | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | Altra; Westinghouse subsidiaries (steam drums) | 2009-12-31 | 2050 |
| Ikata Units 1 and 2low confidence | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2018 | — |
| Indian Point Energy Center (Units 1-3) | United States | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 3 | Holtec Decommissioning International | 2021-04-30 | 2062 |
| Isar Nuclear Power Plant (Isar 1 and 2) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2023-04-15 | — |
| Kewaunee Power Station | United States | Active dismantling | Mixed | 1 | EnergySolutions | 2013-05-07 | 2055 |
| Kori Unit 1 | South Korea | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2017-06-18 | 2037 |
| Krümmel Nuclear Power Plant (KKK) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2011-08-06 | — |
| Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant | Taiwan | Shut down | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2023-03-14 | — |
| La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) | United States | License terminated | Mixed | 1 | LaCrosseSolutions (EnergySolutions) | 1987 | 2023 |
| Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant | Taiwan | Restart planned | — | 2 | — | 2025-05-17 | — |
| Mihama Units 1 and 2 | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2015-04 | — |
| Millstone Unit 1 | United States | SAFSTOR | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 1 | — | 1995-11-04 | 2056 |
| Mühleberg Nuclear Power Plant | Switzerland | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2019-12-20 | 2031 |
| Mülheim-Kärlich Nuclear Power Plant | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 1988-09-09 | — |
| Neckarwestheim Nuclear Power Plant (GKN I and II) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2023-04-15 | — |
| Obrigheim Nuclear Power Plant (KWO) | Germany | Site restoration | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2005-05-11 | 2030 |
| Ohi (Oi) Units 1 and 2 | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2018-03-01 | — |
| Onagawa Unit 1low confidence | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2018 | — |
| Oskarshamn Units 1 and 2 | Sweden | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | UNNU consortium (NUKEM/Uniper Nuclear Services) | 2017 | 2028 |
| Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station | United States | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | Holtec Decommissioning International | 2018-09-17 | 2035 |
| Palisades Nuclear Plant | United States | Restart planned | — | 1 | — | 2022-05 | — |
| Peach Bottom Unit 1 | United States | SAFSTOR | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 1 | — | 1974-10-31 | 2074 |
| Philippsburg Nuclear Power Plant (KKP 1 and 2) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2019-12-31 | — |
| Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station | United States | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | Holtec Decommissioning International | 2019-05-31 | 2034 |
| Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station | United States | License terminated | Mixed | 1 | — | 1989 | 2018 |
| Ringhals Units 1 and 2 | Sweden | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 2 | Westinghouse (reactor components) | 2020-12 | — |
| San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Units 1-3) | United States | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 3 | SONGS Decommissioning Solutions (EnergySolutions/AECOM JV) | 2013-06 | 2028 |
| Santa María de Garoña | Spain | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | Enresa | 2012-12 | 2033 |
| Sellafield (incl. Calder Hall) | United Kingdom | Active dismantling | Mixed | 4 | Sellafield Ltd | 2003-03-31 | 2125 |
| Shimane Unit 1 | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2015-04 | 2046 |
| Stade Nuclear Power Plant (KKS) | Germany | Site restoration | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2003-11-14 | — |
| Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) | United States | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | EnergySolutions | 1979-03-28 | 2038 |
| Tihange Nuclear Power Plant (Units 1-2) | Belgium | Shut down | Immediate dismantling | 2 | — | 2025-09-30 | — |
| Tokai Power Station (Tokai-1) | Japan | Active dismantling | Mixed | 1 | — | 1998 | 2030 |
| Trawsfynydd (Magnox) | United Kingdom | Active dismantling | Mixed | 2 | Costain (reactor height reduction) | 1991 | — |
| Tsuruga Unit 1 | Japan | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2015-04-27 | — |
| Unterweser Nuclear Power Plant (KKU) | Germany | Active dismantling | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2011-08-06 | — |
| Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station | United States | Site restoration | Immediate dismantling | 1 | NorthStar Group Services (with Orano) | 2014-12-29 | 2030 |
| Wolsong Unit 1 | South Korea | Planning | Immediate dismantling | 1 | — | 2019-12 | — |
| Wylfa (Magnox) | United Kingdom | Active dismantling | Deferred (SAFSTOR) | 2 | Nuclear Restoration Services | 2015-12-30 | — |
| Zion Nuclear Power Station (Units 1-2) | United States | License terminated | Mixed | 2 | ZionSolutions (EnergySolutions) | 1998 | 2023 |
Breakdown
By status
Active dismantling (46) · SAFSTOR (6) · Site restoration (5) · Fuel removal (4) · License terminated (4) · Shut down (3) · Restart planned (3) · Planning (1)
By country
United States (20) · Germany (16) · Japan (11) · United Kingdom (9) · France (3) · Sweden (3) · Taiwan (3) · Belgium (2) · South Korea (2) · Lithuania (1) · Spain (1) · Switzerland (1)
Closed plants now being restarted
Some sites that entered decommissioning are coming back. Their restart progress is tracked unit by unit in the Nuclear Plant Restarts Tracker.
- Palisades Nuclear Plant Fuel load · United States — Palisades is Holtec's single-unit ~800 MW PWR on Lake Michigan, retired in May 2022 and set to become the first US reactor returned to service after entering decommissioning.
- Duane Arnold Energy Center Under review · United States — Duane Arnold is NextEra's 615 MW BWR, Iowa's only nuclear plant, which permanently ceased operations in August 2020 after a derecho damaged its cooling towers.
- Crane Clean Energy Center (Three Mile Island Unit 1) Refurbishment · United States — The Crane Clean Energy Center is the former Three Mile Island Unit 1, an 835 MW PWR retired in September 2019 that Constellation is restarting under a 20-year Microsoft power purchase agreement.
- Maanshan Unit 1 (Third Nuclear Power Plant) Under review · Taiwan — Maanshan 1 is a 936 MWe (net) Taipower PWR shut in 2024 under Taiwan's nuclear phase-out.
- Maanshan Unit 2 (Third Nuclear Power Plant) Under review · Taiwan — Maanshan 2 is a 938 MWe (net) Taipower PWR shut in 2025 under Taiwan's nuclear phase-out.
Questions
Questions
- How long does it take to decommission a nuclear power plant?
- US rules require decommissioning to finish within 60 years of permanent shutdown. Sites dismantled promptly (DECON) usually take one to two decades: Vermont Yankee closed in 2014 and its demolition was about 99% complete in 2026. Sites placed in SAFSTOR wait years or decades before dismantling begins. Each record shows the stated target completion.
- How much does it cost to decommission a nuclear power plant?
- Costs vary widely with plant size, strategy and country. US estimates in this tracker run from about $382 million for single-unit Fort Calhoun to about $4.4 billion for San Onofre's three units. Complex legacy sites cost far more: Sellafield's clean-up is estimated at £136 billion through 2125.
- What happens to a nuclear power plant after it is decommissioned?
- Spent fuel is moved from cooling pools into dry casks, radioactive systems are removed and shipped for disposal, and buildings are demolished. The regulator then releases the land, usually except for the dry-cask storage pad, which stays until a national fuel repository or consolidated storage exists. Zion in Illinois reached that point in November 2023.
- How many nuclear power plants are being decommissioned in the US?
- The NRC's list of power reactor sites undergoing decommissioning named 21 reactor units in September 2026, including two being prepared for restart. This tracker covers 20 US sites, including completed projects and early reactors such as Fermi 1 and Peach Bottom 1.
- What is the difference between DECON and SAFSTOR?
- DECON (immediate dismantling) removes and decontaminates the plant soon after shutdown so the license can be terminated within years. SAFSTOR (deferred dismantling) keeps the plant in safe storage for years or decades to let radioactivity decay and the trust fund grow, then dismantles it. Some sites switch strategies: Fort Calhoun and Kewaunee moved from SAFSTOR to dismantling.
- What is a nuclear decommissioning trust fund?
- A segregated fund that US plant owners build up during operation to pay for decommissioning, with balances reported to the NRC. US trusts held about $100 billion at the end of 2024. Records show a site's trust balance with its as-of date where the filing is public.
- Which companies decommission nuclear power plants?
- In the US, specialist firms often take over the license and trust fund from the utility: Holtec Decommissioning International (Indian Point, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek), EnergySolutions (Kewaunee, TMI-2, San Onofre in a joint venture, Zion) and NorthStar with Orano (Vermont Yankee, Crystal River 3). In the UK, Nuclear Restoration Services handles the NDA's Magnox sites; in Germany, operators dismantle their own plants.
- Can a decommissioned nuclear plant be restarted?
- Only if it has not been dismantled. Palisades in Michigan and Duane Arnold in Iowa had entered decommissioning before their owners moved to restart them; both are tracked in the Nuclear Plant Restarts Tracker. Most sites on this page are too far into dismantling to return.
Method & scope
Commercial power-reactor decommissioning projects, one record per site with its units listed, plus a few early or prototype power reactors with high public interest such as Dounreay, Fermi 1, Peach Bottom 1 and GE Vallecitos. Included are sites in active dismantling, SAFSTOR or care and maintenance, planning, recently license-terminated US sites and shut plants now slated for restart. Research reactors, fuel-cycle and military facilities, and plants operating under life extensions such as Diablo Canyon are excluded.
Records were compiled from regulator sources (the US NRC decommissioning pages, post-shutdown activity reports and funding status reports, Germany's BASE, the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Office for Nuclear Regulation, Japan's NRA and operators), IAEA PRIS and trade press. Cost estimates and trust-fund balances are given in their original currency with their as-of dates and are not comparable across countries without adjustment. Target completion is the licensee's stated end state, usually license termination or site release.
Milestone logs are append-only: corrections are added as new entries, never rewrites. Records marked low confidence rest on thin or conflicting sources. Targets (first plasma, restart, completion) are the developer's or regulator's stated dates, not NNN forecasts.
License & data
Download the current-state CSV (CC BY 4.0, attribution required) or the full JSON snapshot with milestone history under the NNN Data License Terms. Underlying facts are facts; the grant covers NNN's compilation.
Cite this dataset as
Nuclear News Network, "Nuclear Decommissioning Tracker", https://www.nuclearnewsnetwork.com/industry-trackers/nuclear-decommissioning.