Nuclear waste repository: Only a quarter of Germany is still an option!

Nuclear waste repository: Only a quarter of Germany is still an option!

The search for a suitable location for the storage of nuclear waste in Germany is becoming increasingly concrete. According to current information from the rbb24 A suitable location must be found for a total of 27,000 cubic meters of highly radioactive waste. In a new interim report, the Federal Agency for Final Storage (BGE) has documented important progress in the search for a location. The number of possible locations has been drastically reduced: only a quarter of Germany's area is still possible. Previously, this proportion was around 50 percent.

The western areas in Brandenburg in particular, particularly south of Potsdam and around Neuruppin, Wittenberge, Wittstock/Dosse and Rathenow, continue to have the potential for final storage. However, parts of the south of Brandenburg are already considered “unsuitable”. The rest of the state area in Brandenburg was already excluded in 2020.

Progress and challenges in finding a location

In Berlin, the focus is also on specific areas that are only being examined on the southern outskirts of the city and in the northwest. BGE's safety investigations are essential to determine the geological suitability of the sites in order to ensure that nuclear waste can be stored safely in the long term. The BGE updates the status of the investigation annually and publishes all information on its website, where interested parties can also check potential final storage regions directly using a zip code search.

The next big hurdle is the proposal of possible locations for above-ground exploration, which should take place by the end of 2027. This project will then be examined by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) before the legislature makes the final decision. A final repository should ideally be operational by 2050 and ensure safety for a million years.

Panoramic view of Germany

The necessary conditions for the future storage of what 27,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste indicate are available throughout Germany, with most suitable regions being in northern Germany. The BGE recently classified some areas as unsuitable, including parts of Lower Saxony and areas under the North Sea. There are currently no more possible locations in Rhineland-Palatinate.

German nuclear waste is currently stored in 16 above-ground interim storage facilities, where the permits will soon expire. There is a tense situation, especially in Lower Saxony, where Gorleben is also a well-known location. The search for a final repository is considered complicated; There are concerns about possible delays, with experts predicting the best-case scenario might not find a site until 2074. The BGE wants to examine additional regions in its assessment phase by 2026 and is offering detailed maps of the regions examined on the Internet to document progress.

The issue remains explosive for the population, because what happens to the nuclear waste has an impact on much more than just the immediate locations. The discussion about how and where the next steps in nuclear waste storage should be taken remains exciting.