Germany’s decade-long quest for a nuclear waste repository

Located 400 meters underground on an island in western Finland, the repository represents a project spanning roughly 40 years. Germany’s own efforts, led by the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE), have been ongoing for nearly ten years.

The waste, primarily spent fuel elements that remain radioactive for thousands of years, requires secure underground storage, a consensus among experts. Germany aims to identify a suitable site by 2050, and Environment Minister Carsten Schneider is exploring ways to expedite the process.

“Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan have not yet advanced their procedures as far as we have,” stated ministry spokesperson Stephan Gabriel Haufe. “Finland is certainly the country making the fastest progress worldwide. But Germany is among the leading countries.”

Currently, only 5% of Germany’s territory, spread across 11 of its 16 states, is under consideration for a final repository. The BGE is consulting with geologists, nuclear experts, physicists, citizens, and politicians. The waste, generated over decades of nuclear power production, currently remains in interim storage at or near 19 former nuclear power plants and several research facilities.

Germany phased out nuclear power in 2023 following the Fukushima disaster in Japan. “It must be shown that a repository will remain safe over a very long period of time,” said BGE spokesperson Dagmar Dehmer. “In Finland, that means 100,000 years; in Germany, Switzerland, and France, one million years.”

The selection process involves evaluating geological suitability, ensuring stability at a depth of 400 meters and preventing groundwater contamination. The goal is a repository surrounded by a 100-meter-thick rock layer. Suitable formations include clay, granite, and rock salt.

Building public trust is also crucial. Dehmer believes Germany can learn from Finland’s success, emphasizing the importance of consistency and patience. The ongoing search and interim storage currently cost approximately €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) annually, with the final repository estimated to cost roughly €14 billion ($16.4 billion). Ultimately, 28,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste are projected to be permanently stored underground.