Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant, Nuclear power plant in Brokdorf, Germany
Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant is a decommissioned pressurized water reactor on the banks of the Elbe in Schleswig-Holstein with an electrical output of 1440 megawatts. The facility spreads across an expansive site with a cooling tower, reactor building, and technical auxiliary structures.
Construction began in 1975 amid massive protests that peaked in February 1981 with demonstrations involving over 100,000 people confronted by 10,000 police officers. Commercial operation started in 1986 and ended on December 31, 2021, as part of Germany's nuclear phase-out.
The reactor became a focal point for intense public debate about energy policy and shaped the consciousness of several generations in the region. The facility now stands as a testament to a bygone era of power generation and the conflicts that once surrounded its future.
The facility has been out of operation since late 2021 and is undergoing decommissioning, so no public access is available. The site lies near the municipality of Brokdorf on the western bank of the Elbe and remains visible from the road.
The reactor's shutdown date coincided with the opening of NordLink, an undersea power cable connecting Germany to Norwegian hydroelectric systems. This overlap marked symbolically the transition between two eras of power generation in the country.
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