Gorleben Transforms from Nuclear Waste Site to Renewable Energy Park

The Gorleben site in Lower Saxony, previously earmarked for a nuclear waste repository, is undergoing a significant transformation. Since November 2024, the former exploratory mine has been in the process of being filled in, as plans shift towards developing an ecological energy park in its place.

This initiative is driven by the municipalities of Gartow and Gorleben, located in the eastern part of the Lüchow-Dannenberg district. Their vision for the 660-hectare area includes the storage of green hydrogen, the utilization of deep geothermal energy, and the establishment of a regional district heating network powered by wind and solar energy.

The plan emerged from a collaborative agreement between these municipalities in the summer of 2023, aiming to create a sustainable energy solution for the area. The strategy involves creating new caverns in the salt formation to store hydrogen produced from renewable sources, while also planning for the installation of wind turbines and photovoltaic systems on the former mine site.

For decades, the Gorleben mine was the focal point of protests against nuclear energy. In September 2021, the Federal Ministry for the Environment announced the cessation of further exploration in Gorleben, a decision supported by experts who deemed the site unsuitable for nuclear waste storage due to insufficient geological stability and inadequate natural barriers to prevent groundwater infiltration.

By the end of 2024, the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal confirmed that the mine would likely be filled by the end of 2027, with complete decommissioning of the facilities expected by 2031.

The site, originally acquired by the German Society for the Reprocessing of Nuclear Fuel in the late 1970s for a planned nuclear disposal center, faced significant opposition from both local residents and government entities. The project, which included plans for both a nuclear waste repository and a reprocessing plant for spent nuclear fuel, was ultimately deemed politically unviable, leading to the abandonment of the proposal. However, exploration of the Gorleben salt dome for its potential as a nuclear waste storage site commenced in 1979.

Current discussions between the municipalities and the owner of the site, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wiederaufarbeitung von Kernbrennstoffen, indicate a potential transition of the area into a municipal foundation. This shift aims to prevent the sale of the land to private investors, as highlighted by Gartow's mayor, who emphasized the importance of transforming the site into a resource for the community rather than allowing it to revert to wilderness.