Finding safe repositories.

The final disposal of nuclear waste is an enormous task that will take generations to solve. The highly radioactive waste must be stored safely for up to a million years, a task for which not every subsoil is suitable. Germany therefore intends to examine which site offers the highest level of safety by 2031.

We support this search with our scientific expertise. Several Helmholtz centers have joined forces to compare sites and repository concepts. For example, they are studying how complex processes occur in a deep geological repository. Supercomputers also provide simulations on various length and time scales. Through simulations, laboratory and field experiments, researchers also explore the opportunities and risks of different repository systems in clay, granite and salt rock.

(Photo: HZDR/André Künzelmann)