Swabian Alb in focus: search for final storage facility for nuclear waste intensified!

Swabian Alb in focus: search for final storage facility for nuclear waste intensified!

Something is happening in Germany, and not just on the football field. The Federal Agency for Final Storage (BGE) recently published new interim status on the search for a final repository for highly radioactive waste, and that is creating a lot of conversation. How schwaebische.de According to reports, around a quarter of Germany's land area remains in progress, with Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in particular being the focus.

In the course of the investigations, it has been shown that only 25 percent of the country's area is possible as a potential location - a significant decrease compared to over 50 percent in 2020. The BGE geologists are targeting various host rocks such as crystalline, clay rock and rock salt in order to find out which geological conditions are really suitable for the underground storage of nuclear waste.

Potentials and challenges

Of the original 90 sub-areas, many have already been marked as unsuitable or unsuitable. Interestingly, the region around Ulm and the Alb-Donau district in Baden-Württemberg as well as areas in Bavaria and Lower Saxony have the greatest potential. The BGE has also planned thermal and oil drilling in Lower Saxony to gain further insights. Tagesschau.de adds that only three percent of the areas have passed two of four test steps and therefore still have a chance of being suitable.

The south of Germany is considered to be particularly geologically suitable, while the entire state of Rhineland-Palatinate and large parts of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as Saarland are now excluded as unsuitable. In the coming years, the BGE will review all areas and complete the assessments by mid-2024. By the end of 2027, 10 to 20 location regions will be proposed for above-ground exploration.

Looking into the future

The primary focus is on the search for a final repository for around 27,000 cubic meters of highly radioactive nuclear waste that has been accumulated over more than 60 years. According to the specifications, the location should offer security for up to a million years. This nuclear waste is currently stored in 16 above-ground interim storage facilities in various federal states, and with the closure of the last German nuclear power plants in April 2023, the urgency of the situation cannot be overlooked. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider is pushing for a faster process for finding a final repository and plans to present a draft law to optimize the site selection process at the beginning of next year.

At a time when public awareness of environmental issues is increasing, the right choice of location for the final repository is crucial. BGE chairwoman Iris Graffunder emphasized that Germany has good geological formations for this important task. But how schwaebische.de complemented, the challenge is to choose the best location to ensure our environment and our safety for future generations.

A topic that concerns us all and that will come even more into focus in the coming year. We can only hope that we have a good hand in making the decision and ultimately find a solution that is not only practical but also future-oriented.