Isar Nuclear Power Plant

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Isar Nuclear Power Plant

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Isar Nuclear Power Plant, Nuclear power plant in Essenbach, Germany.

Isar Nuclear Power Plant sits beside the river of the same name and consists of two reactor buildings with different designs. The complex covers a large industrial site with cooling towers, reactor halls and technical support structures now undergoing shutdown procedures.

Construction began in 1971 and the first reactor started operating in 1979, followed by the second unit in 1988. Both blocks supplied electricity for decades until a national decision to phase out nuclear generation led to their permanent closure.

The site represents the energy transition that followed decades of debate about power generation and environmental responsibility. Visitors now see a facility transforming from active reactor to dismantled industrial complex.

Access requires prior registration with the information center, which organizes guided tours about the dismantling process. Entry is limited to certain areas because large sections of the facility remain under technical work.

An interim storage hall built in 2007 on site can hold 152 casks of radioactive materials from operations. This warehouse shows how disposal remains a long-term commitment even after power generation ends.

Location: Essenbach

Location: Niederaichbach

Inception: May 1, 1972

Website: https://preussenelektra.de/de/unsere-kraftwerke/kraftwerkisar.html

GPS coordinates: 48.60560,12.29310

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:05

Nuclear power plants: history of atomic energy, major accidents, and geopolitics

This collection brings together nuclear power plants that have shaped the history of civilian nuclear energy. Some experienced accidents that changed the world’s view of nuclear energy. Chernobyl in Ukraine remains a symbol of the 1986 disaster, while Fukushima in Japan showed the risks of natural events. Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania paused the building of new reactors in the US for many years. Other sites are among the largest in the world, like Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Japan or Bruce in Canada. Many places are facing challenges today, such as the Zaporijia plant in Ukraine. The collection also includes projects that tried to push the technical limits of this energy. Superphénix in France and Monju in Japan explored new types of reactors, with mixed results. Some facilities, like Bataan in the Philippines, were never operational despite being fully built. Others, like Oyster Creek or Tokai, helped start nuclear work in their countries. From Siberia to the United Arab Emirates, from Canada to India, these sites tell stories about energy choices, technical progress, failures, and questions that have surrounded this source of power for more than sixty years.

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