German Court Upholds Demolition Permit for Biblis Nuclear Plant

Germany's Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has confirmed the legality of the demolition permit for Block A of the decommissioned Biblis nuclear power plant. The court dismissed an appeal filed by the BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) environmental group, ruling that the state of Hesse's permit is lawful and aligns with federal law.

The BUND had argued that the environmental impact assessment was inadequate, expressing concerns about the potential release of radioactive material into the environment during the dismantling process. Specifically, the group worried about low-level contaminated debris destined for a landfill. However, the Leipzig judges clarified that the permit for decommissioning and dismantling does not cover the release or disposal of dismantled materials. Such matters are subject to separate radiation protection procedures.

The Biblis nuclear power plant, the only nuclear facility in the state of Hesse, shut down its Block A reactor in 2011 following the Fukushima disaster in Japan. RWE Power AG, the former operator, applied for permission to decommission and dismantle the affected plant components, a permit that was granted by the Hessian Ministry of Environment in 2017. The two pressurized water reactors in Block A and Block B began operation in 1974 and 1976, respectively. The plant's four cooling towers have since been demolished.

Officials anticipate the demolition will generate around one million tons of rubble and scrap metal. High-level radioactive material remains stored in interim storage containers on the former power plant site, awaiting a long-term disposal solution. The court's decision allows the dismantling process to proceed, addressing concerns about radioactive waste management within the established legal framework.

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The permit for decommissioning and dismantling does not cover the release of dismantled materials and their disposal.