France Orders Complete Dismantling of the Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant – Decree Regulates Decommissioning Work Through 2048

Paris – With Decree No. 2026-336 of May 1, 2026, the French government has issued a binding order for the complete dismantling of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, which was already shut down in 2020, and has specified the regulatory framework for its implementation. The decree requires the operator Électricité de France (EDF) to fully dismantle Nuclear Facility No. 75 and carry out the decommissioning in several stages.

The decree further details the Construction Permit originally granted in 1972 and sets binding provisions on the scope, process, and timeline of the dismantling. It also replaces earlier operational regulations that became obsolete after the final shutdown. In France, the decommissioning of nuclear facilities has repeatedly proven to take longer than initially planned.

Dismantling in Four Stages by 2048 at the Latest

The decommissioning covers large parts of the Fessenheim site in Alsace in the Haut-Rhin department – both the nuclear area with Reactor Buildings, Spent Fuel Storage Facilities, and auxiliary installations, as well as numerous conventional facilities and infrastructure areas. It is divided into four stages: Electro-Mechanical Dismantling, including the removal of key reactor components such as Steam Generators and the Reactor Pressure Vessel; remediation of buildings and soil; gradual demolition of buildings down to at least one meter below ground level; and final complete site remediation. EDF is obliged to keep the facility in a safe condition throughout the entire process. Completion is scheduled no later than June 30, 2048.

Comprehensive Regulatory Framework With European Involvement

The decree is based on the French Environmental Code and takes into account opinions from the National Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR), the European Commission, as well as regional and local bodies. It sets detailed requirements for the handling of radioactive and chemical wastewater, the control of water withdrawals from the Grand Canal d’Alsace, and air management in contaminated areas. EDF is required to submit regular reports on dismantling progress, worker radiation exposure, waste disposal, and environmental conditions.

With the decree coming into force, previous operational regulations are repealed; the original 1972 operating license is supplemented by mandatory decommissioning provisions. European legal integration was achieved through an opinion from the European Commission under Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty. The decree will enter into force once updated technical operating rules are approved by the ASNR; transitional arrangements are provided for.

Fessenheim Joins Long List of French Decommissioning Projects

France has long-standing experience in dismantling nuclear facilities. The Brennilis Nuclear Power Plant, a Heavy-Water Reactor, has been shut down since 1985 and has been gradually dismantled ever since. The Chooz A Nuclear Power Plant, France’s first Pressurized Water Reactor located in a rock cavern near the Belgian border, is in an advanced stage of decommissioning. Bugey 1, a gas-cooled UNGG-type reactor, was permanently shut down in 1994. Among the oldest projects are the early graphite-gas reactors at Chinon (A1/A2/A3) and Saint-Laurent (A1/A2). At the Creys-Malville site, the Superphénix Fast Breeder Reactor, shut down in 1997, is being dismantled. Also under decommissioning at the Marcoule CEA research site are the three early plutonium production reactors G1, G2, and G3, which were shut down between 1968 and 1984 and whose final completion date has not yet been set. Several French decommissioning projects have experienced significant delays compared to original plans, particularly for older reactor types such as the UNGG plants and the Brennilis Heavy-Water Reactor. With Fessenheim, the first dismantling of a 900 MW EDF Pressurized Water Reactor type begins in France.

Source: IWR Online, 27 May 2026