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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Decommissioning concept

Decommissioning concept

In the scope of the licensing procedure for decommissioning, a decommissioning concept has been developed in order to close the repository in such a way that there will be no risk for man and environment, not even on the long term. Different options have been examined and the option of widely backfilling the repository has been selected as the best suitable concept. For this decommissioning option the required long-term safety analysis was carried out.

Decomissioning concept

This is how the Morsleben repository is to be decommissioned

On the basis of comprehensive investigation programmes a decommissioning concept has been developed that takes into account the complicated geological, geo-technical, mining and long-term safety requirements. It has been designed in such a way that the protection goals will be kept.

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Protection goals of decommissioning

The planned measures of the decommissioning concept need to be suitable to isolate the radioactive waste from the biosphere as best as and for as long as possible. Releases that cannot be prevented need to be as low as possible and delayed for such a long period that the following protection goals in terms of radiation exposure to man and environment are complied with.

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Considerations on long-term safety

Building upon the results of comprehensive investigations, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) has developed its decommissioning concept for the Morsleben repository. In 2005, the BfS submitted the documents to the licensing authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt (MLU) and presented them to the general public. According to this concept, the decommissioning will consist of widely backfilling the mine, sealing the emplacement areas and the shafts. An important component of the nuclear licensing procedure required for decommissioning are considerations on long-term safety. Morsleben is the first radioactive waste repository that is intended to be decommissioned under nuclear law.

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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.

Schematische Darstellung eines Abdichtbauwerks im Steinsalz

The sealing structures according to the decommissioning concept

In case relevant volumes of influent solutions enter the mine – which is not very probably but needs consideration as well – the emplacement areas eastern field and western-southern field are additionally separated by the other mining districts by sealing structures. Thus, isolated areas which will be dense for the long term will be created in the large and complex mine openings.

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Decommissioning options assessed

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) examined different approaches for decommissioning and filed a plan-approval application for the best suitable option.

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Why is the BfS pursuing different decommissioning concepts for Morsleben and Asse?

The crucial point in radioactive waste disposal is guaranteeing long-term safety. Long-term safety analyses are based on observations in nature and of the geological past and provide the option to forecast the future development. Thus, estimations can be made on unfavourable long-term developments (such as an acute inflow of water) and their effects on man and environment.

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