On 25 April 2017, the operator responsibilities for the Asse II mine as well as the Konrad and Morsleben repositories were transferred to the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung mbH, BGE). This website of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) will therefore no longer be updated and displays the status as on 24 April 2017. You will find current information at the BGE: www.bge.de

Navigation and service

What happens in Asse?

Works for safe decommissioning

Current status of the fact-finding

The BfS documents here the latest developments regarding the exploration into emplacement chambers 7 and 12 on the 750-m level in the scope of the fact-finding.

You will receive information on the technical and commercial processes directly from the press releases of Asse-GmbH.

Search results 1 to 5 from a total of 11

Trial phase continues with third drilling

Following extensive conversion works in the working area in front of emplacement chamber 7, the Asse-GmbH’s drilling team started another drilling to investigate the vicinity of the chamber. The drilling goes into the area above the emplacement chamber and will probably be 56 metres long.

Second exploratory drilling reaches emplacement chamber 7

According to the Asse GmbH, the second exploratory drilling reached emplacement chamber 7 on the 750-m level on 7 June 2013, about five weeks after the start of drilling and after having drilled around 23 metres. The next step will be taking gas samples.

Second exploratory drilling started

On 30 April, the Asse-GmbH started the second exploratory drilling in the context of the trial phase (fact-finding) in front of emplacement chamber 7 in a depth of 750 metres. With this drilling more findings regarding the state of the chamber and the waste stored therein are to be gained. Among others, a possible propagation of radioactivity, the state of the waste in the chamber, the stability of the chamber and, if possible, gases detected in the chamber are to be examined.

Results of the first drilling and further approach

The first of the planned drillings into chamber 7 that started on 1 June runs diagonally to the outer, upper edge of the chamber. Given that the chamber was completely backfilled with salt grit after the end of emplacement operations, there will possibly be a small cavity at this place only. For safety reasons, it needs to be ensured at the same time that no waste is hit directly.

Start of drilling into first chamber on 1 June 2012

5 June 2012: On his first visit to the Asse mine, the Federal Environment Minister, Peter Altmaier, started the drilling process with the help of which emplacement chamber 7 will be explored. Together with the Lower Saxon Environment Minister, Stefan Birkner, and the district administrator of Wolfenbüttel, Jörg Röhmann, Altmaier pressed the red start button.

Transfer of operator responsibilities

On 25 April 2017, the operator responsibilities for the Asse II mine as well as the Konrad and Morsleben repositories were transferred to the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung mbH, BGE). Previously, the responsibility for the projects was with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). The foundations for the change of operatorship are laid down in the "Act on the Realignment of the Organisational Structures in the Field of Radioactive Waste Disposal", which became effective on 30 July 2016. The BfS focusses on the federal tasks of radiation protection, for example in the field of defence against nuclear hazards, medical research, mobile communication, UV protection or the measuring networks for environmental radioactivity.

© Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz