DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
GERMAN CONCEPTS TO
DISPOSE OF NUCLEAR WASTE
THE WAY AHEAD
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Contents
I. The Past
Site selection
Site and Technology Development
II. The Present
Site development
Repository Construction
Repository Closure
III.The Way Ahead
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site Selection - Gorleben
In the early 70’ Germany developed a concept for
an Integrated Waste Management Center (NEZ):
A SF reprocessing plant co-located with
An HLW repository
In 1973/1974 NEZ site selection was a major issue
Before it had been decided that all radioactive
waste was to go to deep geological repositories
And heat generating waste was to be disposed of in
a salt formation
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
In 1973 the Federal Government contracted the
“Kernbrennstoff-Wiederaufbereitungs-Ges.” (KEWA)
to carry out a site selection for the NEZ,
In three phases
Considering all the territory of West Germany
10 candidate areas were identified
Gorleben was excluded because it is in
Lüchow-Dannenberg, a recreation area
Site Selection - Gorleben
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Government of Lower Saxony, the NEZ host state, in
carried out thereafter a site selection of its own
By a project team set up to this aim in 1976
In tree phases
The selection criteria, published in 1977, correspond to
criteria still used today
Leading to four sites being identified for a final selection
Wahn
Lichtenhorst
Gorleben, and
Höfer (Mariaglück)
Site Selection - Gorleben
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Lower Saxony’s Government finally selected Gorleben
(December 1976)
The Wahn salt dome was discarded because it is partially located under an army training ground
The Lichtenhorst dome because it is in a priority and reserve area for water supply to Hanover
The Höfer salt dome because it had already been used for mining
On February 22, 1977, the German Federal Government
confirmed Gorleben as the site for the NEZ and for the
repository.
Site Selection - Gorleben
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
22.02.1977 Site designation Gorleben (Nukleares Entsorgungszentrum/NEZ)
April 1979 Start of surface site characterization
1980/1981 Four deep boreholes (1002 / 1003 / 1004 / 1005)
Mai 1983 Comprehensive suitability statement (PTB)
Sept. 1986 Ground-breaking for Shaft 1
Oct. 1996 Communication between Shaft Gorleben 1 and Gorleben 2 (840-m-Sohle) established:
Thereafter excavation of infrastructure area and characterization of Exploration Area 1
01.10.2000 Site characterization interrupted. Thereafter stand-by operation only
03.03.2010 Germany announces to the IAEA Board of Governors that site exploration will continue
01.10.2010 Politically motivated Moratorium to the exploration of the Gorleben site ends
Site and Technology Development - Milestones
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site and technology Development - Exploration Mine
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site and technology Development – Surface Survey
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site and technology Development – Underground Survey
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
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Site and Technology Development
Concurrently with site development, the technology for
waste disposal was developed and demonstrated
A pilot conditioning plant was designed and built
Two interim storage facilities for ~ 4000 THM were commissioned
The technology for SF and HLW shaft hoisting to the disposal level was developed and demonstrated
The full underground waste handling and disposal system was developed and tested
In recent times an optimized alternative for HLW and SF borehole disposal was demonstrated (follows)
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site and technology Development – Conditioning Plant
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site and technology Development – Waste Disposal
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Site and technology Development – Waste Disposal
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Site Development and Repository Construction
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
1965 – 1976 Iron ore production approx. 7 mil. t; Deposit: ~ 1.4 billion t
1975 Preliminary survey as candidate site
1982 Site Suitability statement and License Application submitted
09/92 - 03/93 Public hearing (75 hearing days)
14.06.00 / Consensus Agreement 17.07.01 - Finishing licensing procedure
- Withdrawal immediate enforcement
01.08.01 Radiation Protection Ordinance amendment License application amendment
05.06.02 LICENSE GRANTED
2002-2008 Litigation
2008-2010 Start of Repository Construction
2013/2014 First Planned DISPOSAL START
2019 Currently Likely Disposal Start
The Present – Site Development and Repository Construction
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
40 km Drifts
Shaft 2
Shaft 2
The Present – Site Development and Repository Construction
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Site Development and Repository Construction
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present –Site Development and Repository Construction
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present –Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
1970 Bartensleben mine selected as repository
1971 Start of trial disposal (LLW)
1974 Approval of repository construction
1981 / 1986 1st and 2nd permanent operation licenses
10 / 1990 Morsleben repository a Federal Facility under BfS, operated by DBE
1991 Disposal stop, refurbishment
1994 Disposal restarted
09 / 1998 Waste acceptance interrupted
05 / 1999 Waste disposal terminated Licensing procedure only for closure
11 / 2000 Advanced backfilling - repository closure to follow
2011 Public hearing?
2012… License for closure?
The Present – Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
Central Area Eastern Field
The Present – Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Special Problem: Asse
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Asse Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Asse Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Present – Asse Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
In 2009 the responsibility for the former Asse Experimental Repository was transferred
• from the Ministry of Education and Research• to the Ministry of the Environment
For final closure of the Asse a licensing procedure under the Atomic Energy Act will be conducted
Different closure options were studied by a pluralistic specialist group
Independently, BfS opted for retrieval of all the waste, as demanded by local stakeholders
Currently studies are being carried out to determine whether waste retrieval is really feasible (repository?)
Emergency planning continuing in parallel
The Present – Asse Repository Closure
DBE TEC / IAEA DISPONET Workshop
Peine, September 28-30, 2010 Dr. E. Biurrun
The Way Ahead
Progress, although slow, has been achieved in recent times in the German repository projects:
The Konrad deep geological repository (LILW) is under construction
But first waste disposal will be significantly delayed compared with original plans from 2014 to 2019
The public hearing for closure of Morsleben will be delayed from this to later next year
On September 30 the politically motivated moratorium of the Gorleben site exploration ends
Survey results for site suitability statement (positive or negative) shall be available at about five years
A preliminary safety case for Gorleben is being conduct-ed to support the site suitability evaluation (ready 2012)