On the status of the repository search: Latest results, information and opportunities for participation in autumn 2025

A joint press release by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management and the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung 

In autumn 2025, the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE) will present new work statuses from the representative preliminary safety analyses. These provide an insight into the current status of the BGE’s work in the search for a repository site for high-level radioactive waste. The BGE is currently working on narrowing down the 90 sub-areas identified so far to “siting regions” for surface exploration. In order for the general public to keep track of the selection process, the BGE is publishing multiple updates on work status as it moves towards the site proposal in 2027. The next publication is planned for 3 November 2025. These results are not legally binding and only represent the current status of the search.

The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) and the BGE will accompany the publication with various opportunities for dialogue. The aim is to provide ongoing information on progress in the site search procedure, to categorise the relevance and significance of the respective working statuses, and to present the opportunities for participation.

As a federally owned company, the BGE has been commissioned to search for a repository site. As the supervisory authority, the BASE checks whether the search procedure is being implemented in accordance with the law. It also organises public participation.

Offers of information and opportunities for participation to accompany the publication of work statuses

On 6 October 2025, the BASE will kick off with an online public dialogue event to provide an overview of the status of the repository search and the opportunities for participation. This event is aimed at those who are not very familiar with the procedure yet and are looking for information.

On the evening of the day of publication, 3 November 2025, the BGE will publicly explain the work statuses in an online information event. In addition, the BGE Repository Search Navigator, at www.bge.de/navigator, uses the integrated postcode search function to display the current status of work at the respective place of residence.

The events will culminate in the main event of the Repository Search Forum (Forum Endlagersuche on 21 and 22 November 2025 in Hanover and online). The Repository Search Forum deals with the publications of the BGE, among other things. As a venue for public participation, the forum offers current specialist debates, the exchange of perspectives, and scope for questions, discussions and networking. This event is funded and supported by the BASE and organised by the Forum Endlagersuche planning team (PFE), a team made up of representatives from local politics, science, social organisations, the younger generation, and the general public.

This year, in addition to the BGE’s work statuses, the forum will also deal with topics relating to the supervision of the repository search, issues relating to the optimization of the search procedure, and the preparation of the Regional Conferences and the Council of the Regions Conference.

In preparation for the forum, a series of online events known as the Forum Days will be held from 10 to 14 November 2025, providing an opportunity for an in-depth look at various aspects of the repository search.