Czechia begins exploratory drilling for a future nuclear waste repository

The director of Surao, geologist Lukas Vondrovic, described the start of the work as a "wichtigen Meilenstein." In statements reported by the broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, he said: "Erstmals schauen wir mit Hilfe von Bohrungen direkt unter die Erde und präzisieren unsere Erkenntnisse, die wir von der Oberfläche aus gewonnen haben."

Four candidates on the shortlist

In addition to Janoch, three other locations are on the shortlist of candidates to host the deep geological repository: Brezovy potok, Horka, and Hradek. At each of these sites, drillings of up to 100 meters deep are also planned, in order to gather a comparable volume of geological data before the final decision.

The Czech government plans to finalize the selection of the definitive site in 2030, after nearly two decades of technical studies and public consultations. Once the site is chosen, the repository will enter a phase of detailed design and construction, which will last for several decades before its final sealing.

To compensate the municipalities affected by the presence of the facilities or research work, the state distributes around four million euros annually among the host communities, a budget that will be maintained until the closure of the future repository.

Czechia reinforces its commitment to nuclear energy

The search for a permanent storage facility is part of the Czech nuclear strategy, which remains one of the most ambitious in Europe. Last year, more than 40 percent of the electricity generated in the country came from its nuclear power plants, a percentage that authorities intend to maintain and even increase in the coming decades.

In parallel to the selection process for the repository, Czechia is advancing in the construction of two new reactors at the Dukovany power plant, awarded to the South Korean consortium KHNP for an amount equivalent to more than 16 billion euros. The commissioning of both units is scheduled from 2036 onwards, with the aim of strengthening atomic generation capacity and reducing dependence on coal and gas.