Construction status

Konrad Shaft 1

The first buildings at Konrad Shaft 1 have now been completed. The largest building is currently under construction, and further buildings are soon to be built or are in the final stage of planning and approval. The infrastructure above ground is being constructed successively along with the buildings. Konrad Shaft 1 has two sets of winding apparatus. The southern winding apparatus has already been rebuilt, and the corresponding part of the shaft (the shaft compartment) has been fully renovated. The renovation of the northern shaft compartment with the installations for supplying fresh air in the mine has already begun. This will be followed by construction of the northern winding apparatus. Whereas the listed pithead gear has already been renovated, the laborious replacement of the guide frame is still outstanding.

Konrad Shaft 2

The outer connection to Konrad Shaft 2 has been built, and the area has been cleared of ordnance. The central traffic route at Konrad Shaft 2, with the existing utility supply and disposal lines, has been completed. Initial work on the building’s construction began in 2018. The foundation pit for the future ventilation building has since been created, and construction of the service yard has been underway since the beginning of 2020. The other buildings for Konrad 2 are in the final stage of planning. The conversion of Konrad Shaft 2 for bringing containers underground began in 2017 with the construction of the shaft bottom (underground transfer station for the waste containers). This phase of construction is already at an advanced stage. Construction of the winding tower has also been allocated to a contractor, and the tower is due to be completed in 2026.

Mine building

The emplacement chambers for the start of emplacement operations have been fully excavated. The mine openings for infrastructure, such as the workshop in the control area and the offset processing facility, are currently being excavated at six faces simultaneously and are at an advanced stage of completion. The underground infrastructure (ventilation technology, water supply and disposal, traffic guidance, etc.) is in the final stage of planning.

Vehicle technology

The contracts for vehicle technology for emplacement operations have largely been awarded. The production plan is being prepared, and the first vehicle plans will be submitted to the supervisory body under nuclear law in the first quarter of 2018 for preliminary assessment.

At a depth of 850 metres, miners are working on the construction of a building material facility. Here, holes are being drilled for rock bolts.

At the Konrad 2 site, preparations are underway for building the foundations of the ventilation building.