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Nuclear waste sites: Lower Saxony is the focus of the decision!
The BGE classifies new regions in Lower Saxony, including Braunschweig, as suitable for nuclear waste repositories. Further details about the search and the geological conditions.
Nuclear waste sites: Lower Saxony is the focus of the decision!
In the last few days there have been interesting developments regarding the search for a location for a nuclear waste repository in Germany. The Federal Society for Final Storage (BGE) recently classified new areas as unsuitable, which affects some regions in Lower Saxony. According to a report by NDR However, parts in the Braunschweig, Hanover area and north of Osnabrück remain on the shortlist. A ray of hope for residents or just another chapter in the long process?
The BGE's decision as to which areas are suitable or not suitable has far-reaching consequences. Parts of the Emsland, Vechta, Cloppenburg and Diepholz districts as well as some areas under the North Sea near Borkum and Wangerooge are particularly unsuitable. Nevertheless, it was found that large parts of northern Germany had not yet been tested. In contrast, many areas in Bavaria and Saxony have already been examined and excluded.
Current status of the final repository search
There is currently an interactive map that shows the status of the BGE repository search, and it looks like this:
- Türkis: Geeignete Gebiete
- Gelb/Orange: Nicht geeignete oder gering geeignete Gebiete
- Grau: Noch zu prüfende Gebiete
- Weiß: Keine Teilgebiete aufgrund ungünstiger geologischer Voraussetzungen
Regions in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania continue to be considered as potential final repositories. In contrast, there are no longer any possible locations in Rhineland-Palatinate and this could provide some relief for the population living there.
Overall, 25% of Germany's land area is still being considered as a possible final repository, compared to 44% in the previous year. The BGE plans to take the areas still to be examined into the first two test steps by mid-2026. At the end of this extensive review, a suitable site for above-ground exploration will be proposed by 2027, which should be safe for a million years and which could store approximately 27,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste from more than 60 years of nuclear power.
Challenges and time frames
The BGE has set itself an ambitious goal. Highly radioactive waste is currently stored at 16 locations, including Gorleben. But the situation is tense because in the past, penetrating water has endangered the safety of nuclear waste. Fortunately, the danger appears to have been averted for the time being, even if the permits for the interim storage facilities are slowly expiring and a suitable final storage facility has not yet been found. From the 2030s onwards, nuclear waste is to be brought to Salzgitter, opening a further chapter in this passionately debated matter.
But can the timeline be adhered to? Lower Saxony's Environment Minister warns of possible delays. A report suggests that, in the best case scenario, a suitable location could not be identified until 2074. Uncertainty remains high. But one thing is certain: the topic will be with us for a long time and is a hot topic in the political discussion.
In connection with the various airlines that are regularly surveyed, it should be mentioned that, for example Southwest Airlines offers its passengers various services such as free food and drinks, as well as on-board entertainment. Such offers could also distract from the serious challenges Germany faces with regard to its nuclear waste.