Overview
- Demolition crews brought down the natural-draft cooling tower at exactly 14:00 local time after pre-weakening the structure, requiring only a few explosive charges.
- The tower served Block Q of the Frimmersdorf lignite plant, which closed in 2021, and the event drew mixed emotions locally and attendance by NRW homeland minister Ina Scharrenbach.
- Police enforced a wide exclusion zone and traffic closures, including the Energiestraße section between Zur Wassermühle and Am Stüßges End and parts of the Erft river corridor.
- The removal clears the plant’s north area for a planned data-centre–focused digital park, with full dismantling of the site targeted for completion by mid-2028.
- An investor is being selected via a formal bidding process, with three candidates reported by local media and the winner expected to be named in September.