The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) has published its Status Report on the Use of Nuclear Energy in the Federal Republic of Germany 2022. The status report, which BASE produces and publishes every year, provides an overview of various aspects of the use of nuclear energy.

Over the course of time, a report that was initially intended solely for internal use of the then Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) developed into an important document providing an overview for experts and interested members of the public.

Contents of the Status Report

The report provides data and information on all nuclear power plants, research reactors and nuclear fuel supply and disposal facilities in Germany as of 31. December 2022. It also includes information on the storage of spent fuel elements ( interim storage) and their future final disposal.

Three nuclear power plants were in operation during the reporting period, three nuclear power plants were in a status of shutdown. This means that a nuclear licence for dismantling and decommissioning had not yet been granted or such a licence had not yet been used. 27 nuclear power plants were in decommissioning. This report contains a summary of the essential data and a brief description of these plants.

For the sake of completeness, the report also contains a brief description of the nuclear power plants that have already been released from the Atomic Energy Act, as well as the projects that have been discontinued. The description of the research reactors includes essential data on the type, the characteristics (thermal power, thermal neutron flux) and the intended usage of the individual plants. An overview of the licensing and operating history as well as their current operating status is also provided. Regarding the nuclear fuel supply and disposal facilities, information is provided both on the intended use and the power output. The licensing history and the current operating and licensing status are also presented. In the area of final disposal, the report describes the status of the site selection procedure for a repository for high-level radioactive materials as well as supervisory activities.