Demolition of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant in Lower Bavaria, due to close in 2023, is currently halted. During work in the reactor pressure vessel, a piece of metal fell into the tank and damaged the lining. The incident was reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority.
Damage occurred during the dismantling of the decommissioned Isar 2 nuclear power plant in Niederaichbach (Landshut district). The incident, in which falling pieces of metal caused damage, was reported to nuclear regulatory authorities, power plant manager Carsten Müller said late Tuesday. The construction site has been in rest since then and the damage is being addressed. Only then can dismantling proceed.
Of the three reporting levels, this event is reported to be in the “normal” category. This means that the incident must be reported within five days. In the “urgent” category, an incident must be reported within 24 hours and in the “immediate” category it must be reported immediately.
According to Müller, during the underwater dismantling of reactor pressure vessel components, a piece of metal weighing about 800 kilograms fell into the basin. The metal parts damaged the inner lining of the double-walled pool. “Several cubic meters of water” seeped through a gap into the space between the inner and outer walls of the pool. This water is collected and the crack is closed.
Last Thursday’s incident had no impact on the surrounding area. The water is only slightly radioactive, Müller said. “Not important.” Additionally, no employees were injured.
The duration of the shutdown is unclear
It is difficult to estimate how long the construction site will be idle, power plant managers say. “Maybe before Christmas.” It is also unclear to what extent the incident will affect the demolition end date. It is currently planned that work on the entire power plant complex will be completed in February 2040.
The Isar 2 reactor was shut down in mid-April 2023 as one of the last three nuclear power plants still operating in Germany and has been dismantled since 2024. As a result, there have been repeated discussions regarding restarting the reactor. The operator PreussenElektra has always emphasized that this is no longer possible. Executive director Guido Knott said on Tuesday evening that he wanted to emphasize once again “that the mass has finally been read”. The Isar 1 kiln has been dismantled since 2017.
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