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

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What happens in Asse?

Works for safe decommissioning

Stabilisation measures

Comprehensive stabilisation measures are being carried out in the Asse II mine on account of the rock-mechanical conditions and as a precaution against an enhanced inflow of saline solutions, which it would no longer be possible to control in case of emergency. With these measures the BfS wants to achieve that

  • the deformations of the mine openings reduce and
  • thus the probability of an increase in inflowing solutions reduces.

The residual stability of the Asse mine can currently be prognosticated on a scientifically reliable basis until the year 2020.

Stabilisation measures are to reduce the risk that it will no longer be possible to decommission the Asse mine in an orderly manner. Among the stabilisation measures are the so-called filling of roof clefts as well as additional measures involving the backfilling of no longer needed cavities (blind shafts, galleries etc.) in the mine with concrete.

Backfilling of roof clefts

The cavities in the former mining chambers of the southern flank were already filled with loose rock salt material earlier on. Meanwhile this stowing material has set, so that new cavities have formed at the roofs of the chambers. These so-called roof clefts are now gradually filled with Sorel concrete. This is to reduce the deformation rate of the mine openings. The objective is to reduce the risk of an enhanced inflow of water.

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Stabilisation of the mine by backfilling of cavities no longer required

Various preparations and plans for retrieval are currently underway. At the same time, precautionary measures need to be taken for the event of an uncontrollable inflow of water – which cannot be ruled out – and to stabilise the mine. The necessary precautionary and stabilisation measures include the backfilling of mine cavities where no radioactive waste has been stored and that are no longer required. This is to stabilise the entire mine and to reduce the probability of an uncontrollable inflow of water and its consequences. Carrying out these measures is therefore key for the implementation of retrieval.

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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.

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