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Germany Today

German news in English

Friday, November 22, 2024

Germany's Nuclear Waste Storage Dilemma

Published: 2024-11-04

Germany's search for a permanent nuclear waste storage site continues to face challenges as more regions are deemed unsuitable.

Recent reports from the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) indicate that significant areas in Lower Saxony, Thuringia, and Rhineland-Palatinate are no longer considered viable for storing 27,000 cubic meters of high-level radioactive waste.

This waste, currently held in temporary storage across 16 sites, needs a secure location for up to a million years.

The BGE's latest findings show that only 44% of Germany's land is still under consideration, down from 54% in 2020. The search process, which involves rigorous geological assessments, aims to identify a site by 2050, although this is 20 years later than initially planned.

The final decision on potential sites will be made by the Bundestag, with further exploration expected to conclude by 2027.