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Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle in Deutschland – Eine Einführung in die rechtlichen und technischen Hintergründe sowie Bestandsanalyse

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander Wimmers
  • Christian von Hirschhausen
  • Fabian Präger
  • Claudia Kemfert
  • Josephine Hiepler
  • Claudia Humann
  • Pauline Kaiser
  • Andrea Lagoda
  • Theresa Lang
  • Leila Lubosch
  • Ruta Nonnenbroich
  • Henning Pahlke
  • Raphael Stiemke
  • Zoe Tercier

Abstract

Even after the closure of the last commercial nuclear power plants in Germany, substantial challenges of the nuclear legacy remain. Nuclear power plants must be decommissioned, and remaining nuclear waste must be storaed safely for the coming millenia. With the de facto delay in the selection of a site for a deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste in Germany until the second half of this century, the German legislators’ focus is shifting towards a so-called long-term interim storage facilities of this waste. Today, most of the high-level radioactive waste is stored at the 16 decentralized interim storage facilities, mostly located at the sites of former nuclear power plants. The first operating licenses will expire within the next ten years. This results in unresolved questions about the safe long-term interim storage of radioactive waste in Germany. This data documentation provides a comprehensive introduction to the terminology of nuclear waste disposal and an overview of the current stocks in German interim storage facilities, including low-, intermediate, and high-level wastes. It highlights the discrepancies between the data provided by the various stakeholders at individual sites and discusses key challenges, particularly with regard to pending new licenses. Furthermore, this data documentation serves as a reference work for the film “Einfach mal (zwischen)lagern” (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWjAWtBdxOg), which was published as a study project. Auch nach der Abschaltung der letzten kommerziellen Kernkraftwerke in Deutschland ist die Atomwende noch nicht abgeschlossen: Nach der Abschaltung folgt der Rückbau der Kernkraftwerke und die Herausforderungen der sicheren Entsorgung der nuklearen Abfälle müssen bewältigt werden. Mit der de-facto Verzögerung der Standortauswahl für ein tiefengeologisches Endlager für hochradioaktive Abfälle in Deutschland in die zweite Hälfte dieses Jahrhunderts rückt die Zwischenlagerung dieser Abfälle in den Fokus. Heute lagern die meisten hochradioaktiven Abfälle in den 16 dezentralen Zwischenlagern, zumeist an den Standorten der ehemaligen Kernkraftwerke und erste Betriebsgenehmigungen laufen in den kommenden zehn Jahren aus. Dies resultiert in ungeklärten Fragen zur sicheren Langzeitzwischenlagerung der radioaktiven Abfälle in Deutschland. Diese Data Documentation stellt eine umfassende Einführung in die Terminologie der nuklearen Entsorgung und einen Überblick über die aktuellen Bestände (schwach-, mittel- und hochradioaktive Abfälle) in deutschen Zwischenlagern dar. Dabei werden an einzelnen Standorten die Diskrepanzen zwischen den zur Verfügung gestellten Daten der verschiedenen Akteure herausgearbeitet und wesentliche Herausforderungen, insb. hinsichtlich der anstehenden Neugenehmigungen, thematisiert. Weiterhin dient diese Data Documentation als Nachschlagewerk für den als Studienprojekt veröffentlichten Film „Einfach mal (zwischen)lagern“ (siehe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWjAWtBdxOg).

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Wimmers & Christian von Hirschhausen & Fabian Präger & Claudia Kemfert & Josephine Hiepler & Claudia Humann & Pauline Kaiser & Andrea Lagoda & Theresa Lang & Leila Lubosch & Ruta Nonnenbroic, 2025. "Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle in Deutschland – Eine Einführung in die rechtlichen und technischen Hintergründe sowie Bestandsanalyse," Data Documentation 110, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwddc:dd110
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    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.947936.de/diw_datadoc_2025-110.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christian von Hirschhausen & Clemens Gerbaulet & Claudia Kemfert & Felix Reitz & Cornelia Ziehm, 2015. "Atomausstieg geht in die nächste Phase: Stromversorgung bleibt sicher – große Herausforderungen und hohe Kosten bei Rückbau und Endlagerung," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 82(22), pages 523-531.
    2. von Hirschhausen Christian & Wimmers Alexander, 2023. "Rückbau von Kernkraftwerken und Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle in Deutschland: ordnungspolitischer Handlungsbedarf," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 24(3), pages 286-301, September.
    3. Mahdi Awawda & Alexander Wimmers, 2024. "A Scenario-Based Assessment of the Long-Term Funding Adequacy of the German Nuclear Waste Fund KENFO," Papers 2412.16126, arXiv.org.
    4. Bärenbold, Rebekka & Bah, Muhammad Maladoh & Lordan-Perret, Rebecca & Steigerwald, Björn & von Hirschhausen, Christian & Wealer, Ben & Weigt, Hannes & Wimmers, Alexander, 2024. "Decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants: Insights from a multiple-case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    5. Alexander Wimmers & Rebekka Bärenbold & Muhammad Maladoh Bah & Rebecca Lordan-Perret & Björn Steigerwald & Christian von Hirschhausen & Hannes Weigt & Ben Wealer, 2023. "Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants: Regulation, Financing, and Production," Data Documentation 104, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Mario Kendziorski & Claudia Kemfert & Fabian Präger & Christian von Hirschhausen & Robin Sogalla & Björn Steigerwald & Ben Wealer & Richard Weinhold & Christoph Weyhing, 2021. "Atomwende: Abschaltung von Kernkraftwerken eröffnet Perspektiven für die Endlagersuche," DIW Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 88(47), pages 767-774.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Radioaktive Abfälle; Zwischenlager; Zwischenlagerung; Deutschland; Brennelementelagerung; CASTOR // Nuclear waste management; interim waste storage; Germany; spent fuel; CASTOR;
    All these keywords.

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