In light of discussions around the extension of Cattenom's reactor 1, Greenpeace Luxembourg issued a press release outlining the dangers the nuclear power station might pose to Luxembourg.
Greenpeace criticises talks around the extension of Cattenom's reactor 1 beyond the 40 years initially planned, calling this irresponsible. Even modernising the reactor would no longer suffice to offset the safety risks, the NGO adds.
In partnership with Greenpeace Luxembourg, the Biosphere Institute produced radioactivity dispersion maps to illustrate the threat posed by the Cattenom power plant.
Over 1,000 maps were modelled corresponding to meteorological conditions over recent years to estimate the potential direction and danger of a radioactive cloud in the event of a Fukushima-like accident at Cattenom.
The concluding estimation is that more than 26 million people would be exposed to excess radioactivity. 276,000 people would potentially have to be evacuated as a matter of urgency. Depending on weather conditions, "the whole of Luxembourg" could be contaminated.
Various reactors were taken offline temporarily in the recent past due to technical faults, but there was no safety hazard at any time.
In 2023, then energy minister Claude Turmes expressed concern regarding the discovery of cracks in the reactor, which were subsequently repaired.
