Repatriation of radioactive waste from reprocessing

While shipments from Germany to reprocessing plants in France and the UK have ceased, radioactive waste is still stored at these sites. Nuclear plant operators are obliged to take this waste back.

Since 2005, no more spent fuel elements from Germany have been shipped to reprocessing plants. Up to that time, the operators of the nuclear power plants had transported some 6,670 tonnes of heavy metals to the reprocessing plants.
Reprocessing waste is still being stored at reprocessing plants in France and the United Kingdom. According to their contractual obligations, the German nuclear power plant operators are required to take back the radioactive waste.
14 casks of high-level radioactive waste from the UK are waiting to be returned to Germany, where they will be distributed between the Brokdorf and Isar on-site interim storage facilities. BASE has granted a licence to BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung mbH to store the casks. The necessary transport licence for Isar was granted, but the one for Brokdorf has not yet been issued.
In June 2023, BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung mbH submitted an application to BASE for the storage of up to 25 disused, unloaded, internally contaminated transport casks from France in the transport cask storage facility in Ahaus.
Most recently, four casks were shipped from the La Hague reprocessing plant in France to Philippsburg in November 2024.

Return of waste from reprocessing plants

A Castor cask being transported on a lorry to the hall of an interim storage facility. — Model handling of an empty transport cask for repatriation. © Christopher Mick

While there have been no more shipments from Germany to reprocessing plants since the 2005 amendment to the law, reprocessing waste is still stored at the corresponding facilities abroad. In accordance with their contractual obligations, the waste owners, i.e. the operators of German nuclear power plants, must take back their waste. This, too, is consistent with the principle that each country should dispose of its own radioactive waste.

In contrast to spent fuel, the liquid intermediate- and high- level waste from reprocessing is vitrified and poured into canisters. The resulting waste products are in turn placed in appropriate transport and storage casks. The solid intermediate- level radioactive waste from reprocessing, consisting of the cladding and structural parts of the fuel elements, is compacted under high pressure and packaged in appropriate containers.

In 2015, the German government, the federal states and the waste owners agreed to store the radioactive waste cast in glass containers at on-site interim storage facilities in Hesse, Schleswig-Holstein, Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg until it can be transferred to a final storage facility.

According to the original plans for the return of waste from reprocessing in France, five casks containing vitrified intermediate- level radioactive waste were earmarked for the Philippsburg interim storage facility. In addition, the utilities were required to take back 152 casks of high-pressure compacted intermediate- level radioactive waste.

New contracts for return shipment from France

Interior view of the Philippsburg on-site interim storage facility © EnBW

In 2021, the utilities signed new contracts with the French reprocessing plant at La Hague and the Federal Republic of Germany. These provide for the return of four casks with high- level radioactive waste and a maximum of 30 empty, internally contaminated transport casks instead of the total of 157 casks with intermediate- level radioactive waste. Since November 2024, the four casks containing high- level radioactive vitrified waste have been stored at the Philippsburg interim storage facility. The maximum of 30 empty, internally contaminated transport casks are intended for the transport cask storage facility in Ahaus, provided that they are not accepted directly by a recycling company. In June 2023, BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung mbH applied for permission to store up to 25 empty, internally contaminated transport casks at this storage facility.

The Federal Republic of Germany is thus taking back the originally agreed amount of radioactive material from France. However, the volume of radioactive waste is significantly lower.

The obligation to repatriate an expected seven containers of vitrified high- level radioactive waste from the UK to the on-site interim storage facilities at Brokdorf and Isar remains in place.

What was sent abroad for reprocessing?

Since 2005, the transport of German spent fuel elements for reprocessing abroad has been prohibited. Until then, the operators of the nuclear power plants had shipped some 6,670 tons of heavy metal ( uranium and other metallic components of the spent nuclear fuel) to reprocessing plants and other recycling facilities abroad.

5,379 tons went to the reprocessing plant of Orano (formerly AREVA NC, COGEMA) in France, 851 tons to the reprocessing plant of Sellafield Ltd. (formerly BNFL) in the United Kingdom. The remaining quantities were either processed at the Karlsruhe reprocessing plant or, to a lesser extent, shipped to the following foreign institutions:

for reprocessing at Eurochemic in Mol (Belgium)
for storage at the central interim storage facility for spent fuel elements (CLAB) in Sweden
for reprocessing or storage in Russia (only fuel elements from the Greifswald and Rheinsberg nuclear power plants that were manufactured in the former USSR)
for further use in the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary (only fuel elements from the Greifswald nuclear power plant).

No return shipments to Gorleben

When the Site Selection Act was passed by a large majority in the German Bundestag in 2013, the legislator also amended the Atomic Energy Act: Pursuant to Section 9a, paragraph 2a of the Atomic Energy Act, since 1 January 2014, the energy suppliers have been responsible for ensuring that any remaining radioactive waste from reprocessing will be taken back and stored at intermediate storage facilities close to the site.

The term 'close to site' refers to the sites of the nuclear power plants. The utilities had previously shipped all of the waste to the interim storage facility in Gorleben in Lower Saxony. The facility already holds 108 casks containing vitrified high- level radioactive waste from reprocessing.

Since the Gorleben transport cask storage facility is a centralised rather than a localised interim storage facility, it is no longer permissible to store the cask returns at the Gorleben transport cask storage facility.

Answers to important questions on returns from reprocessing

What is the current licensing status for the storage and transport of radioactive waste from reprocessing?

Storage licences have been granted for the Brokdorf and Isar sites. The transport licence for the return shipments to the Isar interim storage facilitiy was granted in December 2024, the one for Brokdorf has not yet been issued. Repatriation of the waste to Biblis took place in November 2020, and to Philippsburg in November 2024.

How much waste is yet to be returned from reprocessing?

According to the waste producers, i.e. the utilities, a maximum of 14 casks with vitrified high-level radioactive waste remain to be repatriated to Germany from the UK. In November 2020, six casks with vitrified high-level radioactive waste had already been transported from the UK to Biblis. In November 2024, four casks with vitrified high-level radioactive waste were brought from France to Philippsburg.

What licences are required to transport and store waste from reprocessing?

The waste producers, i.e. the nuclear power plant operators, must apply for transport and interim storage licences so that the casks can be transferred to the interim storage facilities. So-called transport licences in accordance with Section 4 of the Atomic Energy Act are required for shipping the waste to Germany. In addition, a licence amendment is needed under Section 6 of the Atomic Energy Act for the storage of waste from reprocessing in the on-site interim storage facilities. A corresponding application must be submitted by the operator of the respective interim storage facility. Before a licence can be granted, the applicant must provide BASE with evidence that it can meet all safety requirements. Reprocessing waste must be transported and stored according to the same safety requirements as spent fuel.

What determines the duration of the licensing procedure?

All safety requirements under nuclear law must be met before interim storage and transport can take place. Only then can BASE issue a licence. The duration of the licensing procedure is largely in the hands of the applicants, who must submit the necessary evidence and application documents in full and with the required level of detail and quality.

Are the on-site interim storage facilities suitable for storing waste from reprocessing?

In general, the activity per cask of high- level waste from reprocessing in the UK is comparable to that of spent fuel from nuclear power plants. There is sufficient storage capacity for the waste from reprocessing at the potential on-site interim storage facilities specified by the German Environment Ministry (BMUV). The total radioactive inventory for which a licence has already been granted will not be exceeded.

Are the impacts of a deliberately caused aircraft crash reviewed and assessed during the modification approval procedures for the storage of waste from reprocessing at the on-site interim storage facilities?

The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management also reviews and assesses deliberately caused aircraft crashes as part of the modification approval procedure.

What does the storage of waste from reprocessing at the on-site interim storage facilities mean with regard to protection against terrorist attacks?

As part of the modification approval procedure to be carried out under Section 6 of the Atomic Energy Act, BASE will examine whether protection against disruptive actions or other third-party interference is provided. This includes, for example, criminal acts, terrorist attacks and sabotage.

Why are the returned quantities smaller than originally planned?

The total quantity of radioactive waste from the reprocessing plants in France and the UK that German nuclear power plant operators are obliged to take back is smaller than originally planned. There are several reasons for this:

Due to the suspension of transports, fewer spent fuel elements were delivered to foreign reprocessing plants. Consequently, there is also less waste to be taken back.
As part of the contracts between the nuclear power plant operators and the reprocessing plants in the UK and France, which involve the exchange of low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste for an equivalent additional amount of high- level radioactive waste in the form of glass canisters, casings and end pieces do not need to be taken back as a waste stream. This also leads to a reduction in volume.
Production experience has led to a reduction in the number of containers per tonne of heavy metal.

How many shipments are required for the waste from reprocessing?

The number of shipments required depends on the plans of the interim storage facility operator. So far, it is assumed that the radioactive waste will be shipped from the UK to Germany in two successive transport campaigns.

When will the waste from reprocessing be shipped?

The next return transport is currently scheduled for spring 2025. The repatriation of all radioactive waste from abroad is expected to be completed in 2026.

Has the public been informed about the repatriation of the waste from reprocessing?

In autumn 2018, BASE (then BfE) held information events for citizens in both Biblis and Philippsburg. Alongside the BfE as the licensing authority, the operators of the interim storage facilities and the competent nuclear supervisory authorities of the federal states were on hand to answer questions and engage in discussion. BGZ has been responsible for operating the interim storage facilities since 2019, and has continued the information series since then.

Stand: 2024.12.20