The Fessenheim nuclear power plant, situated in the Haut-Rhin region of France, has been offline since 2020. Its two reactors officially entered the decommissioning phase on June 25, 2026, following a government decree and approval by the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASNR), France’s nuclear safety authority. Despite the closure, the site has remained largely untouched for six years, with no visible signs of demolition such as excavators or construction equipment. This delay has sparked curiosity and concern about the gap between the official closure announcement and the actual pace of decommissioning. EDF, the French electricity company that operates the plant, has completed 98% of the preparatory work for decommissioning by early 2026. This includes draining the reactor circuits, removing auxiliary equipment, and securing the installations. However, the public has not seen the physical dismantling of the plant yet. The decommissioning process involves multiple regulatory steps, which have slowed progress. The government gave EDF the go-ahead to begin full decommissioning on May 3, 2026, and the ASNR validated the necessary safety and operational documents on June 19, 2026, officially starting the decommissioning phase. The decommissioning of Fessenheim will produce about 405,000 tons of materials, with 5% being radioactive and requiring specialized handling. The process must be completed by June 30, 2048, but EDF aims to finish by 2041. This will involve cutting the three steam generators of reactor number one and removing structures that housed spent nuclear fuel. These operations are expected to require an average of 300 workers annually, with local estimates suggesting that up to 400 workers could be on-site during certain periods. The long period of inactivity at Fessenheim has highlighted broader challenges in managing large public projects in France, where announcements are often made but implementation lags. The site now represents a turning point, as the first physical dismantling is expected to begin soon. However, the delay underscores the complexity of the regulatory and administrative processes involved in decommissioning nuclear facilities, which are both technically and logistically demanding.