Dismantling of steam generators begins at Germany's Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant

The dismantling of Germany's nuclear power plants has reached another milestone at Grafenrheinfeld. Eleven years after the pressurized water reactor was shut down, technicians dismantled its first steam generator. The 365-tonne steam generators will be disposed of in Sweden next year. With an installed capacity of 1275 MW, Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant generated more than 330 TWh of electricity between 1982 and 2015.

German company PreussenElektra announced that technicians had begun dismantling the four steam generators at Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant. Each steam generator is 20 meters tall and weighs 365 tons, making it difficult to handle. Removing the first steam generator was particularly challenging because of the limited space in the reactor building, but the technicians completed the operation safely. 

“This task required the utmost precision and outstanding engineering. Thanks to months of preparation, the lift itself went smoothly and took approximately 9 hours. Our experienced partners Framatome and Mammoet, who have already dismantled four steam generators at Unterweser nuclear power plant, rose to the challenge at Grafenrheinfeld too,” said project manager Burghard Lindner.

PreussenElektra expects the dismantling of all the steam generators to take until the end of February. At the beginning of 2027, technicians will transport the steam generators to Sweden, where they will be dismantled and melted down. The work will be carried out by Cyclife, a subsidiary of French company EDF, which was awarded a contract by PreussenElektra to dispose of 12 steam generators from the German nuclear power plants at Unterweser, Grafenrheinfeld and Grohnde.

End of operations after 33 years

Germany began construction of the single-unit Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant in 1975. The 1275 MW (net) pressurized water reactor entered commercial operation in June 1982. During its operating life, the unit generated more than 330 TWh of electricity before being permanently shut down in June 2015.

PreussenElektra applied for a decommissioning permit in 2014and received it in 2018. Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant then obtained its second dismantling permit, which also covers dismantling the reactor pressure vessel, at the end of 2022.