For two days, more than 500 participants, both on site in Würzburg and digitally connected, discussed the site selection for the repository for high-level radioactive waste and the involvement of the public. 

At the 3rd Repository Search Forum on 22 and 23 November 2024, 247 participants gathered in Würzburg to discuss the current status of the repository search and public involvement. A further 260 participants took part in the discussions online. 

A breakdown of the different participant groups paints a detailed picture: 

• 65 individuals registered as members of the public
• 124 participants affiliated themselves with local authorities
• 31 individuals identified as representatives of civil society organisations
• 48 individuals came from the scientific community
• 44 others registered as observers or press
• 30 could not be categorised
• 172 individuals had a professional connection to the topic These included staff from federal and state ministries, or people working directly at or on behalf of the key institutions involved in the process – the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE), the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) or the National Citizens’ Oversight Committee (NBG) – further evidence of how seriously the authorities and responsible actors are taking the public debate on the repository search.

The first day of the forum focused on the current progress of the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) (in German). The second day centred on the supervisory review strategy of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE), as well as the recently presented BASE concepts for public participation and preparations for the Regional Conferences. BASE will thus begin preparing the central participation instrument as soon as BGE proposes the site regions for surface exploration. 

To open the Repository Search Forum, BASE President Christian Kühn delivered a keynote address on site selection in uncertain times: “As the central participation format leading up to the site region proposal, the Repository Search Forum shows that we, as a democratic society, are capable of solving complex problems together and responsibly – also bearing future generations in mind,” Kühn said. “For the repository search to succeed, we need not only reliable institutions, but also an engaged civil society that accompanies the process with both critical scrutiny and constructive input.” 

Iris Graffunder, Chair of BGE’s Executive Board, opened the event with insights into her strategic considerations regarding site selection. She emphasised that BGE will identify the site regions for surface exploration by the end of 2027 and submit them to BASE for review. In Würzburg she said: “We have excellent geological conditions in Germany, so I am confident that we will find a site where high-level radioactive waste can be safely disposed of in a deep geological repository. A broad political consensus is important, but it is not enough if we do not reach the people and fail to address people’s concerns about radioactive waste. I am convinced that the handling and final disposal of high-level radioactive waste can be achieved safely. No one needs to be afraid of a repository.” She explicitly thanked the civil society members of the Repository Search Forum planning team (PFE), who spent over a year preparing the conference. “The level of commitment I see here – and also in many citizens’ initiatives – is truly extraordinary. I’m impressed again and again by how deeply individuals engage with this topic in their free time.” 

Time pressures dominate many discussions 

A key issue at the 3rd Repository Search Forum was whether and how the site selection process could be accelerated. During a panel discussion, SPD Member of the Bundestag Jakob Blankenburg advocated for maintaining political consensus over the long period of time needed to successfully complete the science-based site selection procedure. It is precisely this consensus that concerns Ursula Heinen-Esser, former co-chair of the Bundestag’s Repository Commission. Given that the process may still take decades, she fears a loss of the cross-party agreement that made restarting the repository search possible in the first place. 

Karola Voß, Mayor of Ahaus, pointed to new safety risks for the interim storage facilities, where high-level radioactive waste will remain for decades until a repository is found and built. For interim storage municipalities like Ahaus, it already feels as though they are repository municipalities. She called for financial compensation for these burdens borne on behalf of society as a whole. Voß argued that such payments from the federal government to local authorities could also serve as an incentive for policymakers not to sideline the issue.

Tim Vietor, member of the executive board of Switzerland’s national waste disposal organisation Nagra, called for acceleration through reducing complexity and focusing only on the most promising areas. He also emphasised that jointly developing a realistic timeline – and having it monitored by a central actor in the process – would bring greater stability and reliability. In Switzerland, he noted, the Federal Office of Energy plays this coordinating role. 

Gerrit Niehaus, Head of the Department for Nuclear Safety at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), sees the repository search in Germany on the right track. The current progress of BGE already shows that the prerequisites for narrowing down to suitable areas are being implemented with the current reduction strategy. Spending less time on areas clearly ruled out is, he said, an important part of the acceleration strategy called for by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke. 

Time requirements were also the focus of a central working group on the second day, where the current position paper of the Federal Commission on Disposal regarding acceleration potentials (in German) was one of the main topics. 

Participation as a central theme in the site selection process 

On the morning of the second day, Sebastian Stransky, Head of Supervision at BASE, presented the supervisory concept for overseeing the repository search, responding to a request from the Repository Search Forum planning team (PFE) and the National Citizens’ Oversight Committee (NBG) for insight into this core function of BASE within the site selection procedure. “The responsibility of BASE is to provide ongoing supervisory oversight of the process. BASE continuously monitors the work of BGE. Our task is to ensure compliance with the law and adherence to established standards,” said Stransky. BASE also holds a special responsibility towards both the BMUV and the NBG. During the forum, an agreement was reached on the modalities for document access between BASE and the NBG. The presentation of BASE’s supervisory role was positively received and prompted lively discussion. 

Public participation planning for the coming years and strategies for preparing the Regional Conferences formed a key topic on the second day of the Repository Search Forum. Representatives from the Participation Department presented BASE’s new participation strategy (in German), published in May 2024, in a working group to open it up for discussion with the wider public. The strategy outlines four key areas of action for public involvement at the current stage of the site selection process: 

• Accompanying procedural progress
• Addressing regional concerns
• Promoting participation
• Supporting knowledge building and exchange

Civil society plays a central role in public participation 

At the beginning of the forum, the PFE presented a report of accountability showing that many of the resolutions passed at the previous forum have since been implemented by the relevant actors. In public consultations hosted by the PFE, current issues such as timeline projections, repository planning and BGE procedures were addressed. 

On Saturday, the following individuals were elected to serve in the PFE for one year: 

• For the citizens’ group: Bettina Gaebel and Heiko Schaak
• For the scientific group: Janine Hauer and Daniel Lübbert
• For the group representing municipalities: Asta von Oppen and Eva Bayreuther
• For the group of associations and initiatives (civil society organisations): Andreas Fox and Jörg Hacker
• For the under-35 group: Elisa Akansu, Maximilian Hipp, Anton Köller, Farras Fahti, Johannes Hunger, Lucas Fachtan

Compared to the previous PFE, the only changes occurred in the under-35 group. Asta Haberbosch stepped down from the committee. Lucas Fachtan was newly elected. 

How the participants view the Repository Search Forum 

BASE President Christian Kühn expressed his gratitude for the civil society engagement of the Repository Search Forum planning team in preparing and delivering the event. He particularly emphasised the importance of the broad political and societal consensus on nuclear waste disposal achieved over the past decade – and the need to renew that consensus time and again. 

BGE Managing Director Iris Graffunder took away from the forum a strong sense of recognition and support for the BGE’s ongoing work. She also reaffirmed the BGE’s commitment to advancing the narrowing of sub-areas swiftly, but without compromising the safety or transparency of the process. “The BGE’s presentations on its current progress here in Würzburg really went into depth,” she noted. “What also became clear is that the issue of timing is highly contentious and needs to be discussed further. It must not be forgotten that identifying the site is only the entry point to the subsequent nuclear licensing process, the construction and the operation of the repository. Our responsibilities will only be fulfilled once all the waste has been safely disposed of.”

“The process must remain science-based and transparent. Restricting public participation would backfire in the end if errors led to setbacks,” said Dr Daniel Lübbert from the PFE. Bettina Gaebel, also a member of the PFE, highlighted the forum’s communicative atmosphere: “Whether on site in Würzburg or in the online space, many interested people came together and engaged in meaningful exchange. Local officials, federal and state authorities, national agencies the National Citizens’ Oversight Committee, scientists and many others from civil society discussed and debated nuclear waste issues – including points of disagreement. The forum also addressed specific expectations to BASE and BGE through its motions,” Gaebel added. “For example, the Regional Conferences must absolutely be prepared with participatory public workshops. And any changes to the site selection pathway must involve civil society.” 

Gerrit Niehaus of the BMUV announced at the close of the Repository Search Forum on Saturday that he sees a clear role for the Federal Environment Ministry as a “guardian of the timeline”. Compared to the 2nd Repository Search Forum one year ago, Niehaus observed “a definite shift in the overall atmosphere”. He underlined the value of the forum as a space for dialogue within the site selection process: “The Federal Environment Ministry is indeed tasked with working together with all stakeholders to establish a robust timeline for the period following the 2027 site region proposal. This timeline must be continuously adjusted in response to developments in the site search process. At the same time, I believe it’s essential to set a clear end date for the site selection – even if, given the many uncertainties, it must be revised regularly.” Niehaus also stressed: “What matters is that we don’t fall back into old patterns of confrontation, but remain in dialogue. The need for a repository remains – no matter where one stands on the use of nuclear energy”. 

The fourth Repository Search Forum will take place in 2025.

Service Information:

The Repository Search Forum is a product of the broader public participation process in the site selection. It was initiated by civil society during the 2021 specialist conference on sub-areas as a bridge between the formal participation formats of the repository search. BASE provides professional and organisational support to the forum’s preparation, which is coordinated by the civil society-led planning team (PFE). 

If you have questions or would like to speak with interview partners, please contact:

Christoph Hamann, presse@base.bund.de, tel: 030 18 4321 1255
Dagmar Dehmer, dagmar.dehmer@bge.de, tel: 015122101090