Suche
Drone danger and protests: Castor transport from Jülich to Ahaus approved!
Transport permit for 152 castors between Jülich and Ahaus issued - residents fear risks and protests announced.
Drone danger and protests: Castor transport from Jülich to Ahaus approved!
The approval for the transport of nuclear waste from Jülich to Ahaus is currently causing heated debates in North Rhine-Westphalia. How Lokalkompass.de Reportedly, permission was granted for the shipment of 152 castors containing around 300,000 fuel pellets from a previous experimental reactor. The 180-kilometer transport route entails numerous risks, which primarily affect residents along the route.
Concerns about possible drone attacks on the transports are particularly explosive. Experts warn that such attacks could lead to contamination and uninhabitability of surrounding neighborhoods. The combustible graphite fuel balls from Jülich further increase these risks. As a result, the proposal for the construction of a new interim storage facility in Jülich was discussed, as the existing interim storage facility in Ahaus also has safety deficits.
Protests and public concerns
The approval was sharply criticized by various anti-nuclear power initiatives. They describe the decision as “absolutely irresponsible” and demand that the nuclear waste remains in Jülich until a safe final storage facility has been found. Spontaneous protests have already been announced in Jülich and Ahaus, including vigils and a Sunday walk. The initiatives call for immediate discussions with the federal and state governments in order to position themselves against the transports.
The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) had approved the transports, which were necessary due to an order from the NRW nuclear supervision authority. The city of Ahaus is also planning legal action against the delivery of nuclear waste after a lawsuit against its storage in the interim storage facility there was rejected in December 2024 and the North Rhine-Westphalia state government did not support the construction of a new interim storage facility in Jülich.
Security and challenges
The police union (GdP) has classified the Castor transports as a major challenge. There are doubts as to whether the transports can be carried out within the planned time frame. So far, four suitable transport vehicles have been verified to transport one container each, but a concrete start date is still missing. In addition, coordination must take place with the nuclear regulator and the police authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The background to the transport permit is Germany's obligation to take back nuclear waste from reprocessing in the British Sellafield. This includes not only the castors from Jülich, but also other transports from Bavaria, which should be carried out with high security precautions. The arrival times and routes of these transports are kept secret for security reasons in order to prevent protests.
Overall, the situation surrounding nuclear transport in Germany remains tense. Considering the fact that there is currently no final storage facility for radioactive nuclear waste in Germany and only 16 interim storage facilities are available, the pressure on responsible bodies to solve the problem will continue to grow. The discussion about safety and the handling of nuclear ammunition is far from over.