Many people gathered in Beidweiler on Friday afternoon to witness the dramatic fall of the three 290-metre-tall RTL transmission masts, which took just under 15 seconds. The event drew onlookers from across Luxembourg and beyond, all eager to witness a rare and historic moment.
One resident described the event as a unique opportunity to see these enormous masts come down, even if it is a little sad. Another attendee, who grew up in the area, remarked that the masts were always a central landmark, as whenever they travelle, they always knew which direction to go when they saw the three towers.
A security perimeter of up to 500 metres surrounded the site, with 18 external checkpoints ensuring no unauthorised access. Rather than demolishing the masts directly, explosives were used to sever the steel cables that kept the structures upright.
Arthur Feitenheimer, a demolition expert from a German specialist company, explained that a military-grade explosive, specially designed to cut through steel, was used. When it detonates, it creates a plasma cut that slices through the steel connectors, releasing the cables so the mast falls in a predetermined direction.
From 1972 to 2023, the Beidweiler site broadcast RTL’s French-language longwave radio service towards France. The site is operated by Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE), a subsidiary of RTL Group.
Christophe Goossens, CEO of BCE, described the decision to remove the towers as a move towards more sustainable energy. He explained that the decision to dismantle the towers was made because, while they were no longer in use, maintaining structures of that size is extremely expensive.
Plans are currently being considered to expand the already existing solar park to repurpose the land.
Now, the site must first be cleared before a new era of electricity production can begin on this historic ground, 54 years after transmissions began from the original three-mast antenna system.
