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Interim Storage & Transport

Transport - Storage - Surveillance of Radioactive Waste

Safety of Nucleare Waste Management

Mass of heavy metal applied for and licensed

Survey of the volume of nuclear fuels to be stored that had originally been applied for and is currently needed (estimation) Beantragten und aktuell benötigte Menge aufzubewahrender KernbrennstoffeSurvey of the volume of nuclear fuels to be stored that had originally been applied for and is currently needed (estimation) * Source: Bundestag Printed Paper 14/3893 of 14 July 2000, pages 69 to 70. ** Estimation based on the nuclear power plants residual operating time according to the 13th amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 31 July 2011

The federal government and the utilities agreed on 11 June 2001 to bridge by means of decentralised interim storage the period until a national repository for all types of radioactive waste will be taken into operation. Thus, decentralised interim storage facilities for radioactive waste were constructed at the nuclear power plant sites or nearby. The capacities of these interim storage facilities are given in tons of heavy metal.

Guidance on interpreting the chart

The chart depicts the volume of nuclear fuels originally applied for (capacity in tons of heavy metal). In the scope of defined residual electricity volumes agreed upon, the mass applied for was reduced by the applicants at the suggestion of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), being responsible licensing authority until 29 July 2016.

However, the approved values exceeded the need that had been forecast in the year 2000. The BfS has reduced the mass of heavy metal compared to the values applied for in the scope of the licences.

Based on the provisions of the 13th amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 31 July 2011, new residual operating times were laid down for the nuclear power plants. Thus the need of mass of heavy metal has further reduced.

Obrigheim site

The application for the planned on-site interim storage facility at the Obrigheim site was only filed to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in April 2005. The nuclear power plant was shut down in May 2005. The spent fuel elements at the site that are currently being stored in the wet store impair the dismantling work to be undertaken at the Obrigheim site.

The operator, EnBW Kernkraft GmbH, intends to transport the fuel elements to the Neckarwestheim interim storage site. The storage licence required for this was issued on 9 August 2016 by Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BfE), which since 30 July 2016 has been the licencing authority responsible for the interim storage of nuclear fuels and implements the current licencing procedure. The transport permit necessary under Article 4 AtG for the transfer of the fuel elements to the Neckarwestheim interim storage site has been applied for.

As an alternative, EnBW Kernkraft GmbH is following the licencing procedure for storage at the Obrigheim site. As the licencing procedure for the spent fuel elements in the on-site interim storage facility is different different in terms of scheduling and content from the facts depicted in the chart, they are not listed together.

State of 2017.03.07

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