Extended interim storage at BGZ

BGZ’s key remit is to store high-level radioactive waste from the operation of nuclear power plants safely until it is transferred to the final repository. To this end, BGZ currently operates interim storage facilities at 13 sites all over Germany. From 2034 onwards, the licences for these ‘interim storage facilities for spent fuel elements’ will gradually expire.

BGZ will be required to operate its interim storage facilities considerably longer than originally anticipated, given that a final repository site for this type of waste will probably not be identified until the middle of the century at the earliest. Furthermore, even after a final repository site has been identified, several decades will still be required for the repository to be approved, planned, and built, and for the approximately 1,750 transport and storage casks to be transferred from the interim storage facilities.

We will therefore apply for licences to continue operating our interim storage facilities for spent fuel elements. The applications will be submitted to the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE), which is responsible for this matter, in accordance with Section 6 of the Atomic Energy Act. We plan to submit the applications eight years before the expiry of the existing licence in each case. With respect to our interim storage facility for spent fuel elements in Gorleben – the licence for which is due to expire first – this means, in practical terms, that we submit an application for an extension of the interim storage period in 2026.

Extended interim storage – an overview

Ahaus
End of the approval period: 2036

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Biblis
End of the approval period: 2046

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Brokdorf
End of the approval period: 2047

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Gorleben
Learn more about the progress of the licensing procedure
Grafenrheinfeld
End of the approval period: 2046

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Grohnde
End of the approval period: 2046

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Gundremmingen
End of the approval period: 2047

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Isar
End of the approval period: 2047

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Krümmel
End of the approval period: 2046

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Lingen
End of the approval period: 2042

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Neckarwestheim
End of the approval period: 2046

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Philippsburg
End of the approval period: 2047

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated
Unterweser
End of the approval period: 2047

Further information will be provided as soon as the licensing procedure has been initiated

Implications of extended interim storage

In the impending licensing procedures, we – as the operator – must demonstrate that interim storage at our facilities will remain entirely safe in the future. Only then can we be granted a licence to continue operations.

BGZ had already presented a comprehensive research programme on extended interim storage in 2022. As part of this research programme, we investigated the effects of ageing on the containers and the high-level radioactive waste they contain. We are convinced that the safety of interim storage can be guaranteed for decades to come and that the transport and storage casks are suitable for storage beyond 40 years.

BGZ involves the public in the entire process through ongoing dialogue and transparent communication.

Licensing procedure

In the licensing procedures, we will demonstrate that we can ensure the safety of interim storage even beyond the period currently approved.

BASE will examine, amongst other things, whether BGZ, as the applicant,

ensures the safety of storage in accordance with the state of the art in science and technology;
provides protection against ‘disruptive action or other interference by third parties’ – meaning criminal or terrorist acts against nuclear facilities; these aspects are examined under the umbrella term ‘security’;
demonstrates the reliability and expertise of its staff.

During the licensing procedure, BGZ, as the applicant, and BASE, as the licensing authority, will regularly exchange information regarding the documentation submitted by BGZ to support this evidence. BASE will appoint independent experts to carry out an in-depth review of certain aspects of this evidence. BGZ will regularly respond to questions from the authority and its experts regarding the evidence submitted and, where necessary, revise, supplement and resubmit documents within the licensing procedure.
Details of the specific aspects that BASE examines under the headings ‘Safety’ and ‘Security’ can be found on the BASE website: www.base.bund.de/de/zwischenlager/aufbewahrung/sicherheit-sicherung/sicherheit-sicherung-zwischenlager.html (The content of this page is in German)

Throughout the licensing procedure, which is going to take several years, BASE will work in collaboration with the relevant state authorities, in particular the nuclear regulatory authorities and safety agencies. These state authorities will exercise ongoing supervision over the operation of BGZ’s nuclear facilities once the licence has been granted. BASE requests information where necessary, and the authorities may ask questions about the procedure and raise their concerns at any time.

After BASE has finished its substantive reviews with a favourable result, the preliminary licences go through a formal consultation process with the relevant authorities. The competent state authorities receive the preliminary licences so that they can comment on them. Any objections or requests for amendments will be examined by BASE.

Following the involvement of the authorities, BGZ is entitled to a fair hearing: In this way, BGZ is also given the opportunity to comment on the preliminary licences before they are granted.

What is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and why is it necessary?

The EIA is used to examine the potential environmental impacts of extended interim storage. The scope of the assessment is firstly defined under the procedure laid down by law. BASE, as the competent licensing authority, informs BGZ of the content, scope and level of detail of the information that BGZ is likely to be required to include in the EIA report.

BGZ must inform BASE of any further changes planned for the site (e.g. construction work). During a ‘scoping meeting’ led by BASE, the knowledge and skills of experts, environmental organisations, public authorities and other third parties are taken into account. Based on the scope of the study defined at this meeting, an external specialist planner will carry out and document the environmental surveys over the course of one growing season (one year).

As the process continues, BASE will provide members of the public with the opportunity to articulate their views through formal channels. They have the right to view documents on display, comment on the project, and participate in a public consultation meeting. Once the findings of the public consultation meeting have been assessed, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is finalised. The results are then used in the process of approving extended interim storage.

Licensing procedure based on Section 6 of the Atomic Energy Act (AtG) with early submission of EIA application

The above diagram illustrates the process of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the licensing procedure in accordance with Section 6 of the Atomic Energy Act. The applicant (BGZ) is responsible for the actions and events above the timeline, while the licensing authority (BASE) is responsible for those below the timeline.

Our safety demonstration is based on research

Abbildung 1: Vereinfachte Darstellung des zeitlichen Ablaufs von der ersten Behälterbeladung bis zur Einlagerung in ein Endlager

As the operator of the interim storage facilities, BGZ is required to demonstrate that the transport and storage casks are placed in a safe manner and that the safety objectives for extended interim storage are met in accordance with the state of the art in science and technology. Our research programme identifies the research that is required and provides an overview of BGZ’s research strategy and activities. The focus is on investigations that examine the long-term behaviour of the containers and the high-level radioactive waste they contain. The research programme was first published in 2022 and is continuously updated and revised. This enables us to provide all the necessary evidence for the impending licensing procedures based on the latest developments and the state of the art in science and technology.
Here you will find detailed information on the BGZ research programme and the individual research projects: https://bgz.de/en/research-programme/

Communication: Transparency and dialogue

As long as BGZ exists, we have maintained an open dialogue with local residents at all our sites.

We have established numerous information and dialogue initiatives, both locally and across regions. Taking critical views into account and engaging regularly with the public is a matter of course and of great importance to our company.

In this context, since BGZ was founded in 2017, we have also proactively communicated the need for extended interim storage and the preparations involved. We plan to reinforce and extend this preliminary public involvement in the period leading up to the impending licensing procedures. In Gorleben we have set up a dialogue group for this purpose. Members of the public also have the opportunity to raise their concerns during the process of formal public participation procedures, for example as part of environmental impact assessment (EIA).

In our digitalen Fragenforum (the content of this page is in German) anyone interested can ask their own questions about safe interim storage in general, as well as specifically about extended interim storage. Our editorial team is on hand to respond to each enquiry in a personalised manner, typically within a brief timeframe.

558-022_260721_Grafik_Zwischenlagerung_EN

Press contact:

Head of Press and Site Communications

Burghard Rosen
Phone 0201 2796-1480
E-Mail burghard.rosen@bgz.de

Press spokesperson
BGZ interim storage facilities

Janine Tokarski
Phone 0201 2796-1484
E-Mail janine.tokarski@bgz.de

Wie sieht die neue Lösung konkret aus?

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