Supply and Disposal - General Information

The phase-out

The reactor accident in Chernobyl in 1986 made the risks of nuclear power very clear. Although Germany maintains the highest of safety standards, an accident with very serious consequences cannot be ruled out anywhere, including Germany. Therefore, until the use of nuclear power ahs been completely phased out, the supervisory authorities must concentrate on ensuring the safety of humans and the environment, using the best available science and technology. A problem yet to be solved, however, is the management of the radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants. Such wastes remain radioactive for millions of years - a dangerous legacy for future generations.

For this reason the Federal Government decided to completely phase out the production of electricity from nuclear power.

New Atomic Energy Act

On 26 April 2002 the "Act on the structured phase-out of the utilization of nuclear energy for the commercial generation of electricity" (Gesetz zur geordneten Beendigung der Kerenergienutzung zur gewerblichen Erzeugung von Elektrizität) entered into force. It made fundamental amendments to the 1959 Atomic Energy Act: instead of aiming to promote nuclear energy, the purpose of the Act now is to phase out its use in a structured manner.

The main points of the act are:

• a ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants
• restriction of the so-called residual operating life to 32 years as of the commissoning of the plant
• each nuclear power plant has a corresponding residual electricity volume
• electricity volumes of older NPPs can be transferred to newer plants
• legal stipulations for regular safety reviews
• the financial security required for each NPP to cover possible damages is increased ten-fold, to 2.5 billion euros.

Final disposal

Radioactive waste may emit radiation for millions of years. For that reason, it must be safely disposed of. In Germany, it is intended to dispose of radioactive waste in deep geological formations. Further waste disposal in the former final repository for radioactive waste in Morsleben (ERAM) ended in September 1998. A plan-approval procedure for the decommissioning of this facility is under way. The abandoned Konrad mine in Salzgitter was licensed as a final repository for radioactive waste with negligible heat generation in May 2002. The refitting of this mine into a repository started in May 2007. Waste can be disposed of in this repository estimated from 2013.

The exploration of the salt dome at Gorleben for its suitability as final repository for all types of radioactive waste was interrupted on 1 October 2000. In an agreement with the utility companies, a moratorium of up to 10 years was adopted. It has been planned to dispose of all kinds of waste in this salt dome, in particular heat-generating waste. In July 2008 BMU has been published draft safety requirements, governing the disposal of heat-generating waste.

As long as there is no operational final repository, radioactive waste has to be put into interim storage. Spent fuel for example, is stored in interim storage facilities in close proximity to the nuclear power stations. If it is necessary to compare potential sites prior to the decision for a certain site is a question, which must be clarified within the Federal Government.

The first step has been taken

The nuclear phase-out has been adopted. But a future-oriented and sustainable energy policy also needs a second step, namely the switch to a future-oriented energy supply.