Électricité de France (EDF) is set to begin dismantling the Fessenheim nuclear power plant following approval from the French government [1, 3].
The project marks the final stage for a facility that became a symbol of nuclear safety concerns and political tension along the border with Germany. Removing the aging infrastructure is a critical step in eliminating a potentially unsafe site that has remained idle for several years.
The decommissioning process is expected to take 22 years to complete [1, 2]. The French state-owned utility has budgeted €1.4 billion for the project [1].
Built in 1971, Fessenheim is the oldest nuclear power plant in France [1]. It operated for 43 years before being permanently shut down in 2020 [2]. The decision to cease operations followed a series of safety failures that raised alarms about the integrity of the facility [1, 2, 3].
The plant is located on the French side of the border with Germany, where its proximity to the frontier often intensified scrutiny over its safety protocols [1, 3]. By initiating the dismantling process now, the government aims to resolve the long-standing issue of the plant's presence in the region.
EDF will oversee the technical removal of the reactors, and the management of radioactive waste over the coming two decades. The timeline reflects the complexity of decommissioning a facility of this age and scale.
“The decommissioning process is expected to take 22 years to complete.”
The decommissioning of Fessenheim represents a transition in France's energy strategy, moving away from aging first-generation reactors. The 22-year timeline and high cost underscore the technical difficulty of nuclear cleanup, while the project's commencement removes a significant diplomatic and safety friction point between France and Germany.
