German Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) publishes work progress in site selection procedure

Where does the search for a repository in Germany stand? How is the Federal Company for Final Disposal (BGE) finding the site with the best possible safety for highly radioactive waste?

Today, on November 4, 2024, the BGE is publishing the first work progress from the current work in Step 2 of Phase I. 

With this publication, the BGE is providing early information on how its methodology for the representative preliminary safety investigations (rvSU) leads to the siting regions with the best possible safety. Iris Graffunder, Chairwoman of the BGE Management Board, explains: “From now on, we will be publishing our preliminary work statuses annually and for public inspection. This means that the public can always see which areas we have already assessed for safety.”

It is important to note that the published work progress does not yet present binding results because, in accordance with the law, the sub-areas will only be restricted to siting regions by the legislator at the end of Phase I. At the end of 2027, the BGE will propose siting regions for surface exploration. This proposal will then be reviewed by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE). The BASE will involve the scientific community and the public. The decision on the siting regions for surface exploration in Phase II is ultimately made by the federal legislator.

Lisa Seidel, Head of Site Selection at BGE, explains the methodology used to assess safety in the current work step as follows: “We use a science-based process to find the site with the best possible safety. We therefore set the safety requirements for the sites a little higher with each test step. Sites that do not clear a hurdle are not processed any further.” This is how the BGE is gradually approaching the regions with the best possible safety. This year, areas that have already been classified in category C or D according to the current status of work because they have not cleared one or two of these hurdles, will be published. All other areas have not yet been assessed and are therefore still in the review process.

The BGE Repository Search Navigator

The work progress on the way from sub-areas to siting regions is shown in the BGE Repository Search Navigator at www.bge.de/navigator. In the interactive application, the BGE uses maps to show the status of work. Background material helps to categorize the information. Citizens can use the integrated zip code search function to obtain information on the status of the BGE's work in their area.

Work progress for the following 13 sub-areas can be viewed via the BGE Repository Search Navigator:

TG 001_00: Opalinus Clay Formation | Claystone | Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria
TG 002_00: Older Lower Marine Molasse | Claystone | Bavaria
TG 003_00: Younger Lower Marine Molasse | Claystone | Bavaria
TG 008_01: Upper Cretaceous East | Claystone | Brandenburg and Saxony
TG 009_00: Saxothuringian | Crystalline rocks | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg
and Saxony
TG 010_00: Central German crystalline zone | Crystalline rocks | Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg,
Bavaria, Hesse, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg
TG 011_00: Southern phyllite zone | Crystalline rocks | Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Brandenburg.
TG 013_00: Moldanubic | Crystalline rocks | Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria
TG 075_01: Glückstadt-Graben | Rock salt formation | Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein
TG 075_02: Westschleswig-Block | Rock salt formation | Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein
TG 078_02: Thuringian Basin | Rock salt formation | Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia
TG 078_04: Solling Basin | Rock salt formation | Hesse, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia
TG 078_08: Rügen | Rock salt formation | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Overall, the work progress categorizes around 18 percent of the sub-area areas as unsuitable or less suitable.

Online information event on work status and Navigator 

The BGE Repository Search Navigator will be launched on November 4 at 12 noon. The BGE will offer an introduction to the functions of the Navigator and a presentation of the areas being worked on at the online information event “Betrifft: Standortauswahl - Arbeitsstände aus den rvSU” on November 4, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (in German)

To participate via Zoom, please use the following access data
Meeting ID: 661 7170 3318 | identification code: 693119
You can find the livestream and, following the event, its recording on YouTube.

The Forum on the Search for a Final Repository (Forum Endlagersuche) on November 22/23, 2024 in Würzburg 

The BGE will be represented at the 3rd Forum on the Search for a Final Repository (Forum Endlagersuche) from November 22 to 23, 2024, in Würzburg/VCC Vogel Convention Center. The forum offers the opportunity to obtain in-depth information about the work progress in person or digitally.