Ulm on the repository shortlist: risk or opportunity for the region?

Ulm on the repository shortlist: risk or opportunity for the region?

On June 6, 2025, an information event by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) took place in Ulm. BASE President Christian Kühn highlighted the importance of this event, which discussed the possibility that Ulm could come into play as a suitable location for a German final repository for radioactive waste. Kühn emphasized that Ulm, with its subsoil made of Opalinus rock, meets the geological requirements for a final repository. The Federal Office's goal is to significantly reduce the number of areas under consideration by the end of 2027, although, according to Kühn's assessment, only six regions could potentially be considered for the construction of a final storage tunnel.

The selection of a location for the final repository is part of a comprehensive process that is intended to continuously inform the population. In the past there has been resistance to a final repository in the region, particularly from mayors and environmentalists. The Lake Constance area is expected to be excluded from the search window. Seismic activity is considered an important exclusion criterion in the site assessment, while the Bundestag has the final say in the location search. The planned phases of the site investigation include both above-ground and underground suitability tests. A final decision on the final storage location will not be made until the middle of the century, with the aim being around 2050.

Current situation of nuclear waste storage

There are currently around 27,000 cubic meters of highly radioactive nuclear waste stored in Germany, mainly in interim storage facilities. Operations at the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant ceased at the end of 2021, but hazardous waste remains an urgent problem. The Site Selection Act of 2013 is intended to ensure greater transparency and scientificity in the search for suitable final repository locations. A comparison with other countries shows that Finland and Sweden are already significantly more advanced in this regard.

However, the region around Ulm has remained in the running as a possible final repository, thanks in part to the presence of Opalinus clay. Uli Brenner and Petra Semet, members of the “Forum Together Against the Interim Storage Facility”, are actively committed to a transparent and scientifically based search for a final storage facility. Brenner has already been sensitized by a lecture on the consequences of nuclear power, while Semet fundamentally accepts the possibility that a final repository could be created in his own region, provided scientific studies prove this. However, both emphasize that more information and discussions are necessary to gain the public's trust.

Economic considerations

Establishing a repository in the region could also potentially bring economic benefits, including job creation and tax revenue. Nevertheless, the thought of the safety and durability of the castor containers stored in existing interim storage facilities such as the one in Gundremmingen remains a worrying issue. The permit for the Gundremmingen interim storage facility expires in 2046, and nuclear waste is expected to be needed well into the 21st century.

Overall, the decision regarding the final storage facility in Ulm faces numerous challenges and complex concerns, both from the population and from the political corner. The likelihood that Ulm remains the only option in Baden-Württemberg will be further illuminated by ongoing geological and safety investigations. Previous coordination and developments in the search for a final repository show how important it is to involve the public in this process right from the start.