Alternative reactor concepts do not solve the repository problem
Press releases
03/21/2024
A new scientific study commissioned by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear
Waste Management (BASE) indicates that the market launch of alternative reactor
concepts (also known as "Generation IV") is currently not on the horizon. "Despite
some intensive advertising by manufacturers, we currently see no development that
would make the construction of alternative reactor types on a large scale likely in the
coming years. On the contrary: "From a safety perspective, we should expect the potential
advantages of these reactor concepts to be outweighed by the disadvantages
and the questions that remain unresolved," says BASE President Christian Kühn, and
emphasises that "The concepts solve neither the need to find a repository for radioactive
waste nor the pressing issues of climate protection."
