Philippsburg: intermediate stage completed in the approval procedure

Innenansicht des Standort-Zwischenlagers Philippsburg Source: EnBW

The initial findings from the current approval procedure for providing storage for German waste from nuclear reprocessing at the storage site in Philippsburg are now available. As a result, there is no need for an environmental impact assessment for the project requested by the EnBW energy supply company. This emerged from an investigation by the licensing authority, the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BfE). EnBW had applied for permission to provide storage for five containers at the Philippsburg site; they contain intermediate-level radioactive waste arising from reprocessing completed at La Hague in France.

The BfE does not have any discretionary powers when making its checks. If the investigation shows that no environmental impact assessment is necessary, the BfE cannot order this in the licensing procedure. Regardless of this, the BfE will inform the general public about the results of the process. The applicant must provide information about its plans itself.

The storage facility at Philippsburg is one of four sites where German waste from reprocessing abroad is to be stored. In contrast to the other sites at Biblis, Brokdorf and Isar, storage there will not involve any high-level, but intermediate-level radioactive waste.

The Philippsburg nuclear power station was shut down in 2011 when nuclear energy was reassessed and the associated operating times were shortened. The approved storage capacity will therefore not be fully exploited. The operator is not making full use of the agreed amount of radioactivity or heat output by storing five CASTOR containers from reprocessing either. As a result, there is no need for an environmental impact assessment for this change of plan.
The BfE will now examine in the ongoing approval procedure whether the applicant meets the high safety requirements for storage. The planned project can only be approved once all the necessary evidence is available in line with the strict rules stipulated in the Atomic Energy Act. How long the procedure lasts will depend on whether the documentation is complete and is available with the necessary quality.

Background and figures

The Philippsburg storage site was approved in 2003 after an environmental impact assessment was completed; it went into service in 2007. 60 of the 152 approved container storage spaces are occupied at the moment. 102 spaces will probably be required until the nuclear power station has been completely decommissioned. The federal and state governments agreed in 2015 that German waste, which accrued during reprocessing abroad, should be stored at four storage sites in Biblis, Brokdorf, Isar and Philippsburg. Approval procedures are currently taking place at all the sites. The BfE has already completed an environmental impact assessment at Biblis too.