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Cooling towers blown up in Gundremmingen: A farewell with symbolic power!
On October 25, 2025, the cooling towers of the decommissioned Gundremmingen nuclear power plant were blown up. The symbolic power of the event reflects the nuclear energy phase-out. Pastor Bienk emphasizes the different reactions on site.
Cooling towers blown up in Gundremmingen: A farewell with symbolic power!
On October 26, 2025, a remarkable event took place in Gundremmingen: the cooling towers of the former nuclear power plant were blown up with a lot of hello. The countdown took place exactly at 12:00 p.m., and under the direction of the experienced explosives engineer Ulrike Matthes, detonators brought down the towers, which were over 160 meters high. The explosion was not only a technical spectacle, but also a symbol of the far-reaching changes that the region is experiencing as a result of the phase-out of nuclear energy. Around 50% of the cooling tower supports were blown up and care was taken to minimize the development of dust and debris using blast protection mats and water. Security areas were rigorously cordoned off to ensure smooth operations, with a flight restriction of 1.5 kilometers around the power plant also being imposed. BR informed that even at an earlier explosion in Grafenrheinfeld, a large number of onlookers showed up. Now it remains to be seen how many people didn't want to miss the event this time.
However, the blowing up of the cooling towers is not only of a technical nature. Pastor Frank Bienk, who has led the Günzburg parish since the end of 2020, comments on the emotional strain in the community. Many employees have worked at the nuclear power plant for years, which makes saying goodbye particularly painful. “We have to accept different perspectives on nuclear energy,” emphasizes Bienk and calls for social conflicts to be discussed openly. At a time when some citizens are relieved that the return to nuclear energy has been put on hold, there are also concerns elsewhere: Gundremmingen will remain an interim storage facility for radioactive waste for a long time, and the question of final storage remains open for the time being. Here responsibility is passed on to the local population. Evangelisch.de places the events surrounding the explosion in the context of a change in society.
A new chapter for Gundremmingen
The dismantling of the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant, one of the largest nuclear sites in Germany since it was commissioned in 1966, has been in full swing since it was decommissioned at the end of 2021. 4,600 tons of material, including turbines and feedwater tanks, have already been dismantled. According to the Atomic Energy Act, the operators, as the Federal Ministry of Economics explains, are obliged to bear the costs of decommissioning and dismantling, which is supported by the fund for financing nuclear waste disposal. Federal Ministry of Economics informs that the financial provisions of the energy supply companies total 38.3 billion euros.
The demolition marks a real turning point, but what will become of Gundremmingen? The village, which has experienced development in recent decades due to the influx of skilled workers through the power plant, is faced with the challenge of developing new perspectives. Initial ideas for the future use of the location are already being discussed. Pastor Bienk points out that it is important to shape the future together and adapt to the new circumstances.
Gundremmingen not only looks back on a painful past, but also has the opportunity to create something new and sustainable from the ruins of the old nuclear power plant. A true community effort in which both long-established residents and new ideas can play a role. Let's stay tuned to see what the next steps in this eventful story will look like.