What role does BGR play in the final disposal of radioactive waste?
BGR provides independent and impartial advice to the Federal Government on all geoscientific and geotechnical issues relating to the Federal Government's final disposal projects.
On the basis of a cooperation agreement (in German), BGR advises and supports the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) in implementing the geoscientific part of the Site Selection Act (StandAG). The BGE is responsible for carrying out the site selection process.
On the basis of an administrative agreement (in German), the BGR advises and supports the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) in tasks related to the search and selection of a final repository site for high-level radioactive waste in accordance with the Site Selection Act, as well as geoscientific research in this context.
The BGR carries out the tasks assigned to it by the BGE and the BASE on its own technical (geoscientific and geotechnical) and administrative responsibility and without instruction.
On the basis of the agreement with the BGE, BGR is also working on the current site projects in Germany, Asse, Morsleben and Konrad. It carries out geoscientific and geotechnical investigations commissioned by the BGE and evaluates them.
All work carried out by BGR on final storage is subject to a quality management system in accordance with KTA 1401, which is regularly audited and certified by an external certification authority.
What expertise does BGR have in the field of final disposal in deep geological formations?
The technical basis for its research and consulting activities is the decades of in-depth and wide-ranging expertise of BGR, which is unique in Germany.
The expertise of BGR in the field of final disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological formations includes
- application-oriented research on final disposal issues,
- studies on site selection,
- geological and geotechnical site exploration,
- rock physics and geological characterization of the host rocks rock salt, clay rock, and crystalline rock,
- modelling of the overall geological situation, and
- analysis of future scenarios for long-term safety.
BGR research concept from 2020 (in German)
BGR performs much of its research in collaboration with other research institutions. Most of the investigations are carried out in international cooperation, for example with Sweden and Switzerland, in underground laboratories. Methods and equipment for the geoscientific exploration of possibly final repository sites are developed and tested. The aim of this work is to transfer the findings from joint international projects to similar issues and geological formations at sites in Germany. The results will be made available to the public through overview studies (e.g., crystalline, salt, and clay studies), technical reports, and the publication of peer-reviewed articles in technical journals.
In the field of final repository research, BGR focuses its geoscientific work on the long-term search for a site for the final disposal of radioactive waste in Germany, so that BGR can also support the selection process for a site for the final disposal of Germany's high-level radioactive waste with the expertise gained through its research activities. BGR actively contributes to the advancement of science and technology through its own research work.