BASE expert discussion: Alternative disposal options

Are there safe alternatives to final disposal in deep geological mines?

On 11 May 2022, around 100 participants - online and at BASE in Berlin - discussed alternative disposal options for high-level radioactive waste. The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management had invited renowned experts from the scientific community to take part in the discussion.

The conclusion of the event was that, compared to the path currently being pursued, none of the technologies discussed is technically available today or advantageous in terms of safety.

Alternatives discussed

The expert discussion focused on the following alternative options to the currently favoured final disposal in a deep geological mine:

• Borehole disposal,
• Long-term interim storage and
• Partitioning and transmutation.

Dr. Lena Maerten from the BASE department "Safety Research for Radioactive Waste Disposal" is presenting the research project on alternative disposal options. Source: BASE

Jochen Ahlswede, Head of Research and International Department at BASE, opening the event. Source: BASE

The event was based on the BASE-initiated research project on alternative disposal options, which is currently being conducted by Öko-Institut e.V.. The research project is working through the international state of science and technology for alternative disposal options in the search for a final repository. These options will be evaluated with regard to their state of development to determine whether they could be considered as a more favourable alternative in terms of safety for the waste in Germany.

Recording of the event

Alternative Entsorgungsoptionen

The event was opened by Jochen Ahlswede, Head of Research and International at BASE, with his presentation "Research for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal".

Next, Dr. Lena Maerten (BASE) introduced the research project. The event was moderated by Dr Christiane Stephan-Scherb (BASE). This was followed by presentations of the invited experts and a panel discussion.

Presentations of the speakers

• Research for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal, Jochen Ahlswede, Head of the Research and International Department at BAS
• Introduction to the research project "Tracking and processing the state of the art in science and technology for alternative disposal options for high-level radioactive waste", Dr. Lena Maerten, desk officer at the "Safety Research for Radioactive Waste Disposal" division at BASE
• Presentation of project results to date, Dr. Matthias Englert and Dr. Saleem Chaudry of Öko-Institut e.V.
• "Socio-technical perspectives", Dr Sophie Kuppler from the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• "Deep boreholes - possibilities and limits for repository concepts", Dr Ulrich Harms from the Department 4 Geosystems, Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam
• "Radionuclides in the repository and partitioning & transmutation", Prof. Dr. Dirk Bosbach from the Institute for Energy and Climate Research, Research Centre Jülich

Conclusion of the experts

Following the presentation of the project results and intensive discussion with the experts, BASE came to the following conclusion: In recent years, minor progress has been made in some technologies, but none of the conceivable technologies will be technically available in the foreseeable future, or would present significant safety advantages over disposal in a deep geological repository mine.

Contact

If you have any questions, require further information or are interested in the presentation slides, please contact:

Dr. Christoph Borkel
Head of Division F3
Safety Research for Radioactive Waste Disposal
christoph.borkel@base.bund.de