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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The repository

Konrad at a glance

The Konrad mine, an abandoned iron ore mine located in the area of the city of Salzgitter is currently being converted to a repository for radioactive waste with negligible heat generation. About 90 per cent of the radioactive waste accruing in Germany is in this category; it does only contain about 1 per cent of the total radioactivity of all waste, though.

Start of investigation for suitability in 1976

Because of its favourable geology, the mine was investigated for its suitability to host a repository for waste with negligible heat generation as early as in 1976, after iron ore production had stopped as a result of non-profitability.

Exceptionally dry mine

The iron ore deposit located in a depth of 1,300 to 800 metres is twelve to eighteen metres thick. However, the natural barrier in the form of clay and marl layers lying above the mine is vital; being up to 400 metres thick, it seals the mine from groundwater. On account of the clay and marl layers, Konrad is an exceptionally dry mine, compared with other iron ore mines.

2007: Plan-approval decision for Konrad

At the beginning of 2007, a definitive plan-approval decision (licence) was granted for the construction and operation of the repository. Thus, the Konrad repository is the first facility for radioactive waste management in Germany, for which a nuclear plan-approval procedure was conducted prior to taking it into operation. The former iron ore mine is currently being converted to a repository.

According to the plan-approval decision, the Konrad repository is permitted to take up max. 303,000 cubic metres of radioactive waste with negligible heat generation. They contain approximately the activity up to five CASTOR casks (Typ V/19) with heat-generating waste.

State of 2016.04.01

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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