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Task for the future: A safe final repository
Source: BASE / Michael Meier
After the catastrophic accident at Fukushima, Germany abandoned nuclear energy for good. But what about the high-level radioactive waste? It must be stored safely. The law stipulates that a site for a final repository is to be found within Germany by 2031 – in an open-ended, transparent procedure involving the public.
The dispute over the use of nuclear energy has deeply divided Germany for decades, and prevented the final identification of a repository site. After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011, the Bundestag decided to reverse the 2010 lifetime extension and – as previously intended in 2002 – phase out nuclear energy.
It was obvious to all actors involved that the final step of the nuclear phase-out – the final storage of highly radioactive waste – required a joint effort. The site selection process initiated by the Site Selection Act in 2013 marks the start of the final chapter of nuclear power in Germany.
The BASE information platform provides a comprehensive overview of information regarding the final repository search.
The site selection procedureshow / hide
The site selection procedure marked a new beginning: the Site Selection Act (StandAG) sets the framework for an innovative site selection procedure. Public participation plays an important role in this procedure. In the end, the site will be determined by the federal legislator.
BASE is responsible for supervising the procedure, and is also in charge of public involvement, i.e., it organises the public participation formats as specified by the StandAG.
No other major project in Germany offers such a wide range of opportunities for citizens to participate as does the search for a final repository. Active participation of numerous participants from all walks of life is crucial for this process.
Information on public participation is available on the BASE information platform.
Information platform on the search for a repository
Source: BASE
Research on the repository searchshow / hide
The new search for a final repository site with the best possible safety is a highly complex scientific challenge. From extended above-ground interim storage to the preservation of information about the repository site for future generations, numerous scientific and technological as well as socio-scientific questions await investigation.
The establishment of a research department at BASE underscored the need for interdisciplinary, cross-divisional research to better perform regulatory tasks. Through continued discourse, the department can give new impetus in a discussion that is highly controversial both from a scientific as well as a social viewpoint.
Example: A current BASE research project on involving the public in the search for a repository investigates the attitudes and information needs of citizens. In this context, BASE commissioned a representative survey in the summer of 2020. More than three quarters of respondents were in favour of phasing out nuclear energy at the time. Yet, with regard to the current desire for participation or the active search for information for example, the picture is far more diverse. A second survey was carried out in winter 2021/22 and is currently being evaluated.
Are there alternatives to phasing out nuclear power?
As far as new reactor concepts are concerned, small modular reactors (SMRs) are being discussed time and again. They promise cheap energy, safety, and little waste. BASE had commissioned an expert report to evaluate these concepts and the risks associated with them. The report provides a scientific assessment of possible areas of application and the associated safety issues. It concludes that the construction of SMRs is only economically viable for a very large number of units and poses significant risks if widely deployed.
BASE also commissioned another expert report on questions of partitioning and transmutation. Such concepts have been discussed worldwide for decades as a way to separate long-lived radioactive waste (partitioning) and convert it to short-lived waste (transmutation). However, none of those concepts have proven feasible on an industrial scale as yet. In addition, it can be assumed that partitioning and transmutation will not be applicable to all long-lived components of the waste. A repository that must be isolated from the environment for a million years will therefore remain a necessity.
Alternative reactor concepts that should offer a number of advantages over reactors currently in operation are being developed around the world. Said advantages include a reduced amount of high-level radioactive waste and the use of radioactive waste management (transmutation). The authors of a report commissioned by BASE conclude that the use of some alternative reactor concepts will make waste treatment significantly more difficult due to the special features of the coolants or moderators used. Furthermore, the application of alternative reactor concepts for partitioning and transmutation is expected to result in considerably larger quantities of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste from the operation and dismantling of the partitioning plants.
State of 2024.03.01