Stade Nuclear Plant’s 262-Foot Stack Toppled in Controlled Blast, Marking Final Phase of 21-Year Teardown

Key points

• The 262-foot exhaust stack at the Stade plant was blown up on September 4, collapsing within seconds; about 100 guests witnessed the event.
• The stack served as a ventilation exit for the plant's air monitoring system, not for smoke, as nuclear reactors do not burn fuel.
• The 157-foot steel containment sphere, with walls about an inch thick, remains on site and is cleared for scrap recycling by the end of 2026.
• The site is scheduled for full release from nuclear regulatory oversight in fall 2027, potentially making it Germany's first fully dismantled commercial pressurized water reactor.
• The reactor, a 640-megawatt pressurized water design similar to two-thirds of US reactors, operated for 31 years and has been shut down for over 20 years.

Background

The Stade plant's decommissioning has spanned 21 years, with conventional demolition beginning only recently after the removal of nuclear fuel and contaminated components over a decade ago. The site previously hosted an art installation in the containment sphere before its demolition. This teardown contrasts with US sites like San Onofre, which still store spent fuel on-site, as Stade has no remaining spent fuel.

Why it matters

The Stade decommissioning serves as a preview for the cost, complexity, and timeline of nuclear teardowns in the US, where dozens of reactors face similar decommissioning challenges. The successful removal of the stack and planned recycling of the containment sphere highlight the progress in managing nuclear infrastructure end-of-life.

What to watch

PreussenElektra aims to remove the steel containment sphere by the end of 2026 and achieve full regulatory release by fall 2027. A storage building for low- and intermediate-level waste will remain on site.