Germany's last Castor casks arrive in Brokdorf for long-term nuclear storage

The last Castor casks containing reprocessed fuel rods have now returned to Brokdorf for indefinite storage. The Brokdorf nuclear power plant itself has been offline since January 2022, with its energy demands now met by wind and solar power. In 2013, Schleswig’s Higher Administrative Court revoked the operating licence for the Brunsbüttel interim storage facility due to safety concerns. Despite this, Vattenfall continues to run the Brunsbüttel site because of unresolved legal issues. Schleswig-Holstein and Baden-Württemberg became the first states to agree to temporary nuclear waste storage in 2014.

The Brokdorf interim storage facility, a reinforced concrete structure, now holds 83 Castor casks. Operating this facility in 2024 cost approximately €16 million. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, once protested against nuclear power in the 1970s. The final relocation of nuclear waste from interim sites remains uncertain. It may not occur until the end of the 21st century. For now, the casks stay in Brokdorf under strict oversight.