Grafenrheinfeld, a 1,275 MWe PWR on the Main, closed in June 2015 and has been dismantled by PreussenElektra since 2018. Its two 143 m cooling towers were blown up in August 2024; the operator aims to finish around 2035, while the spent-fuel interim store will remain much longer.
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Current state
| Status | Active dismantling |
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Grafenrheinfeld, Bavaria |
| Site | Grafenrheinfeld |
| Units | KKG |
| Unit count | 1 |
| Reactor types | PWR |
| Net capacity (MWe) | 1,275 |
| Owner / licensee | PreussenElektra (E.ON) |
| Strategy | Immediate dismantling |
| Final shutdown | 2015-06-27 |
| Decommissioning start | 2018 |
| Target completion | 2035 |
| Spent fuel | Spent fuel in the on-site interim store, expected to remain long after dismantling. |
| Notable issue | Cooling-tower demolition on 16 August 2024 drew thousands of spectators. |
Notes
2035 target from Süddeutsche Zeitung (Aug 2026) snippet.
Timeline
- 2015-06-27 — Grafenrheinfeld permanently shut down. (source)
- 2018 — Dismantling of the plant began. (source)
- 2024-08-16 — PreussenElektra blew up the plant's two cooling towers. (source)
- 2026-08-13 — Two years on, the operator said it aimed to finish dismantling in 2035. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related sites
- Biblis Nuclear Power Plant (Units A and B) Active dismantling · Germany
- Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant (KBR) Active dismantling · Germany
- Brunsbüttel Nuclear Power Plant (KKB) Active dismantling · Germany
- Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant Fuel removal · Taiwan
- Chooz A Active dismantling · France
- Crystal River Unit 3 Site restoration · United States
- Doel Nuclear Power Plant (Units 1-3) Shut down · Belgium
- Dounreay (DFR and PFR fast reactors) Active dismantling · United Kingdom
See all 72 sites in the Nuclear Decommissioning Tracker →
Sources
- Sprengung der Kühltürme des Kernkraftwerks Grafenrheinfeld — PreussenElektra (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Spektakuläre Sprengung der AKW-Kühltürme Grafenrheinfeld — Der Tagesspiegel, checked 2026-10-11
- Atomkraftwerk Grafenrheinfeld: Der Abzug nach dem großen Knall — Süddeutsche Zeitung, checked 2026-10-11
- Nuclear Power in Germany — World Nuclear Association, checked 2026-10-11