Germany: Areva wins tender for Gorleben nuclear waste repository design
Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung awards contract to Areva for detailed design
Design phase expected to take three years, construction to start no earlier than 2030
The Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE), the German government agency responsible for the management of radioactive waste, has awarded a contract to Areva GmbH to design a deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste at the Gorleben site in Lower Saxony.
The contract, which was awarded following a competitive tender process, covers the detailed design of the repository, including the surface facilities, underground infrastructure, and waste emplacement system. Areva will also provide support during the construction and commissioning phases of the project.
The design phase is expected to take three years, with construction scheduled to start no earlier than 2030. The repository is expected to be operational by 2050, and will be used to store high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and other sources.
The Gorleben site has been under consideration for a nuclear waste repository since the 1970s, and was selected as the preferred site in 2013. However, the project has been delayed by legal challenges and political opposition.
In 2019, the German government decided to proceed with the development of a deep geological repository at Gorleben, and the BGE was established to oversee the project.
The BGE is currently conducting a series of investigations at the Gorleben site to assess its suitability for a nuclear waste repository. These investigations include drilling boreholes, conducting seismic surveys, and studying the geology and hydrology of the site.
The BGE is also working to develop a comprehensive safety case for the repository, which will be submitted to the German nuclear regulatory authority for approval.
The development of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste is a complex and challenging undertaking, but it is an essential step in the safe and responsible management of radioactive waste.
