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Germany and Switzerland nuclear waste repository planning

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2026-10-27 16:26 UTC → 2026-10-27 16:26 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Germany and Switzerland continue to navigate the complexities of selecting sites for high-level nuclear waste repositories. In Germany, the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE) is refining its search for a single site to replace sixteen interim facilities and safely contain approximately 27,000 cubic meters of waste for one million years. Recent geological evaluations have significantly narrowed the search area, reducing potential sites to less than five percent of Germany’s total land area. While Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz were previously ruled out, the states of Berlin, Hessen, and Sachsen have now also been removed from consideration. Remaining candidate regions include parts of Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Bavaria. In Baden-Württemberg, four specific regions have passed initial assessments: the northern and southern Black Forest, the Ulm region, and the Kurpfalz. The BGE is evaluating geological formations such as salt, clay, and crystalline rock to ensure long-term ~~security.~~ containment. The BGE aims to propose specific regions for surface exploration to the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) by the end of 2027, with the goal of securing a permanent location by 2050. The final decision on the site will be made by the Bundestag. Simultaneously, cross-border concerns persist regarding the Swiss proposed site, ‘Nördlich Lägern.’ Located near the German border, the site has prompted discussions between German officials and Swiss planners. During an exchange in Waldshut, NBG Co-Chair Marion Durst emphasized that “transparency and genuine opportunities for public participation are essential for building regional trust.” While the Swiss selection process is viewed as fair by the NBG, local German citizen initiatives, such as ‘Nördlich Lägern ohne Tiefenlager’ (LoTi), continue to express significant concern regarding the facility’s proximity to German communities like Hohentengen.

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