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

1970 - 1990: Repository of the former GDR

  • For monetary reasons, the former GDR examined only existing salt mines when searching for a repository site.
  • The emplacement of radioactive wastes was already launched in 1971 before the repository was licensed and structural preparations were completed.
  • According to today's criteria, the mine would not have been licensed as a repository.

Site selection and licensing procedure

In 1966, the Rheinsberg nuclear power plant was commissioned as the first NPP in the GDR. Concepts for the disposal of radioactive wastes did not exist at that time. The former GDR searched a site for a repository for radioactive wastes. For monetary reasons, the GDR only examined already existing salt mines.

The Bartensleben mine in Morsleben was selected in 1971 and a multi-stage procedure was initiated. Since space had become scarce in the Lohmen interim storage facility in Saxony, radioactive wastes were already emplaced in 1971 before the licence was granted. The licence for the site was granted in 1972.

In 1978, a three-year-lasting trial operation of the repository started. After the licence for fixed-term permanent operation had been granted in 1981, the licence for permanent operation was granted in 1986.

Emplacement of radioactive wastes

Drum reloading prior to licencing and construction of the repository, 1972 Drum reloading prior to licencing and construction of the repository, 1972Drum reloading prior to licencing and construction of the repository, 1972

The Soviet Union where the fuel elements originated from, took back high-level radioactive wastes. Low-level and intermediate-level radioactive wastes had to be managed by the GDR itself. The emplacement of radioactive wastes was already launched in 1971 before the repository was licensed and structural preparations were completed. Later on, solid and liquid radioactive wastes were emplaced, testing and adapting several different methods.

Solid wastes were stacked in drums, placed without packaging or dumped from above into emplacement chambers. Liquid wastes were solidified with brown coal filter ash. Due to problems arising, the Federal Office for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection temporarily prohibited the procedure in 1982. The emplacement of liquid wastes ended in 1990.

The key data in brief
YearEvent
1970Preliminary site selection
1971Advance emplacement of radioactive wastes
1972 - 1974Trial emplacement with mining technology
1974 - 1978Conversion of the facilities to a repository
1978 - 1981Trial operation of the repository
1981Fixed-term licence for 5 years
1986Permanent operating licence
3 October 1990Reunification: The Federal Office for Radiation Protection became operator of the repository
State of 2017.01.03

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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