Completion of dismantling hall for East German nuclear reactor parts delayed to 2027

Project delay

The specialized dismantling hall (Zerlegehalle, ZLH) in Lubmin, intended to process large components from the former East German nuclear power plants at Lubmin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and Rheinsberg (Brandenburg), will be completed later than previously announced. A spokesperson for the federally owned Entsorgungswerk für Nuklearanlagen GmbH (EWN) said construction is progressing, but completion is now expected in 2027, with commissioning planned for the following year. In early 2025, the target had been to finish by the end of 2025 and begin operations by the end of 2026.

“The construction measures are in full swing and are progressing visibly.”

The spokesperson cited several reasons for the delay, including widespread challenges in the construction industry, a persistent shortage of skilled workers, supply chain disruptions, and limited availability of materials and components. She added that the hall's special technical and safety requirements place high demands on planning and execution, with some trades requiring highly specialized expertise, such as for the crane system.

“Considering the scale and complexity of the project, this delay is still within a range that could have been significantly larger.”

Hall specifications

The core of the complex is a hall approximately 30 meters high, 60 meters long, and 40 meters wide, equipped with large steel doors. A crane system will be capable of lifting hundreds of tons. At the center, a pool will allow remote-controlled underwater dismantling of components to shield workers from radiation. The pool is lined with stainless steel for shielding, and the 44-ton wings of the main gate are filled with concrete. Walls are 90 centimeters thick, and floors and parts of the walls have special coatings to prevent contamination from seeping in. Exhaust air will be filtered and monitored.

Safety measures

Strict safety protocols govern the facility. According to earlier information, eating will be permitted in only one designated room to avoid ingesting possible contamination elsewhere. There will be no toilets within the controlled area, as wastewater would otherwise require special treatment. These measures are designed to minimize the risk of spreading radioactive material.

Disposal destination

The hall will dismantle steam generators and pressure vessels from the decommissioned reactors. The steam generators once produced steam for turbines using heat, and the pressure vessels are large reactor components. The processed parts will either be prepared for disposal in the Schacht Konrad repository in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, the future final storage site for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, or decontaminated and disposed of conventionally. For now, the large components from Brandenburg and Lubmin remain stored at the adjacent Zwischenlager Nord (ZLN) interim storage facility.

Construction timeline

Foundation work began at the end of 2018, and the shell of the ZLH was completed in summer 2020. The project has faced repeated delays, including those caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The EWN spokesperson did not provide information on additional costs resulting from the latest postponement, but acknowledged that delays in a project of this magnitude are not without financial consequences.