Research

Site selection

Site exploration

Long-term safety

How can we safely dispose of radioactive waste?

Radioactive substances are used for a wide range of purposes around the world, such as electricity generation in nuclear power plants, in medical radiology, and in material testing technologies. These applications give rise to radioactive waste whose ionising radiation is hazardous for people as well as the environment. The Federal Government in Germany therefore has the objective of safely isolating the waste from the biosphere for a very long period of time. A particular challenge is the search for a repository for high-level radioactive waste. In Germany, they fall under the category of "heat generating waste". Due to the radiation and heat they emit, they place increased demands on the host rock intended for final storage and on the isolation period. Scientists and engineers favor the subsurface storage in geological formations as best option to cope with the requirement of long term.

The Act on the Search and Selection of a Site for a Repository for Highly Radioactive Waste (StandAG) was adopted in July 2013. As a first step, the newly created law was evaluated by a joint federal/state committee of members representing different interests, the „Commission on the storage of high-level radioactive waste". Among other things, the Commission has developed criteria and recommendations for the search for a repository site that ensures the best possible security for the period of one million years. The pluralistic members of the commission also recommended disposal in a geological formation deep underground. The geology of Germany provides multiple options for the safe long-term isolation of radioactive waste in a repository located in deep geological formations.

On the basis of the commissions final report, the further developed Site Selection Act (StandAG) was amended in May 2017. In a new multi-phase, science based comparative procedure, the site is to be determined by 2031 and decided by a resolution of the Federal Parliament. Another new feature is public participation from the early beginning of the site selection. All steps in the criteria-based selection procedure must be transparent and comprehensible. The site selection procedure began on 5 September 2017.

According to the Site Selection Act, rock salt, clay rock and crystalline rock (such as granite) must be taken into account in the site selection procedure.

What is BGR's role in the disposal of radioactive waste?

The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe) (BGR) provides the German Government with independent and neutral advice on all geoscientific and geotechnical issues involved in the Federal Government's nuclear repository projects.

In the site selection procedure for a repository for high-level radioactive waste, the BGR plays a qualified advisory role for the project implementer, the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung mbH (BGE) (Federal Company for Nuclear Disposal). On the basis of a cooperation agreement, BGR advises BGE regarding the geoscientific tasks of the Site Selection Act. On the basis of the same agreement BGR also cooperates with BGE for the Konrad, Asse and Morsleben repositories for low and intermediate level waste in Germany. BGR carries out and evaluates geoscientific and geotechnical investigations commissioned by the BGE at the exploration site. BGR's expertise in the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological formations includes:

• application-oriented research on repository issues
• site selection investigations
• geological-geotechnological site exploration
• the geophysical characterisation of the host rocks salt, claystone and crystalline rocks
• modelling the overall geological situation
• analysing future scenarios for long-term safety

In support of these activities, BGR actively carries out its own research, enabling BGR scientists to develop the state-of-the-art science and technologies needed to evaluate repository issues. Often this research is carried out in collaboration with other national and international research institutes – in dedicated laboratories and underground research laboratories. The latter is possible due to co-operation agreements, for instance with France, Sweden and Switzerland. This research involves developing and testing new methodologies and equipment for the geoscientific exploration of potential host rock formations. Aim of such activities is extrapolating the findings to analogous geological formations at localities in Germany.

BGR’s action aim at fulfilling our mission: the comprehensive and highest-level scientifically and technically support oft he whole site selection process.

Which tasks does BGR carry out when looking at "geotechnical safety" issues?

BGR is particularly active in the field of geotechnical safety. BGR has wide-ranging experience, especially in the technical and constructional application of rock-mechanical and engineering-geological expertise in mining and construction. BGR is primarily active here during the planning of underground cavities – such as those used for the geological storage of renewable energy sources – as well as during the operation of underground storages used for lengthy periods, and during the post-operational phase.