Zwentendorf Station: Austria's First Nuclear Plant That Was Never Used

As expected, nuclear power has its advocates and its detractors. On one hand, they calculate the tons of carbon dioxide a plant could prevent in emissions, and on the other, they cite Chernobyl and Fukushima. Anti-nuclear sentiment can be as powerful as its energy, and it materialized in a very particular way in the municipality of Zwentendorf an der Donau, in Austria. There, a state-of-the-art nuclear plant was built, the first in the entire country, but in November 1978 it was decided that it would never be turned on…

The construction of a nuclear plant is not something to be taken lightly. These are extremely complex facilities, require constant maintenance, and of course, the people have a few things to say about it. However, anti-nuclear sentiment also has its consequences, and one of them is the construction of nuclear plants that were never turned on. At first I thought it was an anomaly, but a simple search presented me with several cases, and one of the most notable is the Zwentendorf nuclear plant in Austria.

Zwentendorf, the Austrian Nuclear Plant That Never Turned On

The available information indicates that Zwentendorf began construction in April 1972, with an initial investment of 5.2 billion Austrian schillings, around 1.4 billion euros adjusted for inflation. Several Austrian energy companies joined forces for the construction, and it reached the point where its boiling water reactor (BWR) received the necessary nuclear fuel. The plant was the first of three planned, and with a generation capacity of 692 megawatts, Austria's energy future definitely had a nuclear profile…

… until the referendum happened. On November 5, 1978, voters went to the polls to authorize or prohibit the 'peaceful use' of nuclear energy on Austrian soil. With a turnout of 64.12 percent, the 'No' won by a mere 30,068 votes: 50.47% versus 49.53%, and 2.33 percent invalid votes.

The fate of the Zwentendorf plant, and of nuclear energy in Austria, was sealed. The Dürnrohr thermal plant was built as a replacement, and Zwentendorf's role changed completely. Today it operates as a research center, a safety training center, and is also available for audiovisual projects (film, TV, photography).