Five seconds. Just enough time for a controlled explosion of the three cooling towers that defined a region. The closure of these towers almost two years ago marked the disappearance of a local life built around their presence. The towers, once a symbol of industrial power, stood as icons in the coal sector — the driving force of the area’s wealth and employment for four decades.
Endesa, the owner of the facilities, used 275 kilos of dynamite to topple the towers, turning 104-meter-high moles into a cloud of dust and leaving tens of thousands of tons of rubble in their wake. It was a technically intricate detonation that signaled a turning point in the province of Teruel, a landscape reshaped as much by memory as by debris. In the wake of the blast, the region’s character shifted, altering the horizon that had long defined Lower Aragon.
The destruction of these vast structures removed an industrial emblem rich in symbolism for locals. It stood not only as a monumental feat of engineering but also as a reminder of a way of life built around coal — a way of life that has largely faded, waiting for a promised transition to a new economic model that remains unrealized. As a consequence, residents feel nostalgia and a quiet surrender, yet there is a budding hope whenever new investments promise jobs and potential prosperity.
On the grounds still to be explored remains the other monumental remnant: the 343-meter chimney. It is regarded as the second-tallest building in Spain, and its demolition was anticipated to begin in early 2022. As with the towers, the chimney’s removal would redefine the region’s industrial silhouette and its collective memory.
The entire operation unfolded as planned. After a precise ten-second countdown, delivered with the Italian accent of Enel, the home country of Endesa’s corporate group, the charges were detonated on schedule at 11:30 a.m.
function of towers
The three hyperboloid towers shared identical dimensions and geometric characteristics. Each had a base diameter of 83 meters and rose to 50.7 meters at the summit. Erected between 1978 and 1979 in reinforced concrete, they weighed 12,577 tons apiece. They formed a core part of the steam generation cycle, powering turbines that produced electricity. Their primary function involved circulating cold water and hot water from the condensers of the power generation units to sustain the cycle that drives the turbines.
The blast itself marked a technical milestone: it was the first time in Spain that three towers were demolished simultaneously. A comprehensive safety and execution protocol was designed to ensure precision and reliability, achieving a balance between effectiveness and safety.
Prior to the detonation, extensive preparatory and decontamination studies were conducted. About 6,000 tons of asbestos materials were safely removed from interior spaces and insulation, with work carried out under stringent regulatory controls for hazardous waste.
The dismantling and demolition project, named Thermal, began on-site on February 25, 2021. It stands as a feat of engineering and logistics, mobilizing substantial resources. The project carried a budget of about 60 million dollars, and it was expected to employ an average of around 140 workers through 2025. [Citation: Project records and industry summaries]