The mandate of BGZ Company for Interim Storage (BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung mbH) is derived from the Act on the Reorganisation of Responsibility in Nuclear Waste Management. The responsibilities for the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear power plants and for the disposal of radioactive waste were redefined at the end of 2016: This Act states that the operators of nuclear power plants are responsible for decommissioning and dismantling, as well as for the proper packaging of radioactive waste. The implementation and financing of interim and final storage is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
BGZ was founded to ensure reliable and safe interim storage. In addition to the interim storage facilities in Ahaus and Gorleben, it has been operating the approved, decentralised interim storage facilities at the sites of the German nuclear power plants since 2019. In a further step, twelve storage facilities for low and intermediate-level radioactive waste at the nuclear power plant sites will also be transferred to BGZ from 2020 on. This means that in the future, BGZ will bear the full responsibility for all interim storage of radioactive waste from the energy supply companies.
BGZ is an independent company organised in a private legal form. The costs of BGZ will initially be financed from the federal budget and will then be reimbursed to the government through the fund for the financing of nuclear waste management.
