In Fessenheim, the gigantic nuclear dismantling project is entering a new phase

Six years after its final shutdown, the Fessenheim nuclear power plant is about to enter a decisive phase of its dismantling. EDF now has government approval to launch major operations at this historic site in the Haut-Rhin region, which closed in 2020 after more than forty years of operation. The project, estimated at €1,4 billion, is expected to continue until 2048.

Since the shutdown of the two reactors, several preparatory operations have already been carried out, including the removal of spent nuclear fuel to Orano's reprocessing plant at La Hague. EDF states that it has removed 99,9% of the radioactivity present on the site thanks to these initial interventions. Some equipment has also been dismantled and reused at other French power plants.

A colossal construction project planned until 2048

The dismantling process will require several hundred people each year and generate approximately 405.000 tons of material. According to EDF, 95% of this waste will not be radioactive. Contaminated materials will be sorted and then transferred to the National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management's storage facilities in the Aube region.

The first major operations involve the removal of the steam generators, immense metal structures twenty meters high requiring extremely precise handling. For the most radioactive areas, particularly around the reactor vessel, EDF plans to use remotely operated robots to limit employee exposure.