A 262-foot stack at a German nuclear plant tipped onto its side within seconds of the charges going off, and the 157-foot steel sphere that held the reactor comes down next, cleared to be cut up for s

Key Points:

• PreussenElektra demolished the 262-foot exhaust stack of the Stade nuclear plant in Germany using explosives on September 4, marking a significant step in the plant's long-term decommissioning process.
• The stack served as a ventilation outlet for the plant's exhaust air, not for smoke, as nuclear reactors do not burn fuel like coal plants; Stade operated a 640-megawatt pressurized water reactor from 1972 until its shutdown over 20 years ago.
• Following the stack demolition, the site now mainly consists of an office building, warehouses, and the 157-foot steel containment sphere, which is being preserved temporarily and is scheduled for dismantling and recycling by the end of 2026.
• The nuclear decommissioning phase, including removal of fuel and contaminated components, was completed over a decade ago, allowing conventional demolition to proceed under Freimuth, with extensive contamination checks conducted throughout the site.
• The entire Stade plant teardown has spanned about 21 years, with full site release from nuclear regulatory oversight planned for fall 2027, potentially making Stade Germany’s first fully dismantled commercial pressurized water reactor site.