Sixth Castor Container from Jülich Arrives at Ahaus Interim Storage Facility

Background of the Relocation

The relocation stems from an official order. According to the Jülich decommissioning company (JEN), the previous interim storage facility at the Jülich site had to be cleared after the original storage permit had expired. The required transport permit was issued in August 2025.

For security reasons, neither exact schedules nor precise routes or possible alternative routes are announced in advance. The affected highway sections were closed for the convoy's passage in each case. Traffic measures along the transport route led to short-term traffic disruptions.

Security Measures and Road Closures

According to reports, the nuclear waste transport across NRW was once again secured with a large deployment of hundreds of officers. Police units escorted the convoy to protect the containers during transit. The protective escort included forces from multiple authorities.

The now-completed sixth transport is considered a scheduled step within the ongoing relocation operation. Police reported that the sixth of a planned total of 152 Castor containers arrived at the Ahaus interim storage facility overnight. During the night, a heavy-duty transporter delivered the container to its destination without incidents.

Outstanding Transports

With the arrival of the sixth container, only a small portion of the total amount has been relocated. The majority of transports through North Rhine-Westphalia still lie ahead. Observers expect the transports to continue over several years.

The nuclear waste originates from the former Jülich research reactor, which has already been shut down. The spherical fuel elements were considered a technical peculiarity of the former research facility for decades. The relocation is intended to ensure the material is now stored in a different, licensed interim storage facility.

In the course of the ongoing debate over the safety of the previous storage site, a new seismic safety certification was also demanded. This demand underscores the concerns existing among experts and the public against the continued use of the Jülich interim storage facility.

Protests and Criticism

For years, the Castor transports have been discussed by environmental organizations and residents and accompanied by protests. Resistance has also long been forming along the route through North Rhine-Westphalia. Critics point to the risks of transport and the unresolved question of permanent final disposal.

The responsible authorities, by contrast, emphasize that the containers meet applicable safety standards and that the transport is being technically prepared with great care. According to official information, the special containers are approved for road transport of highly radioactive materials and are inspected before each journey.

For residents along the transport route, the nighttime convoys primarily mean short-term disruptions from road closures. Highway sections are generally fully closed for only a few hours. Regional detours are signed by police on site.

Outlook on Further Trips

Police announced that they would escort the remaining transports in the same manner as before. The security concept of heavy-duty transport, large police deployment, and nighttime travel is therefore expected to remain unchanged for the upcoming containers.

Until the entire operation is completed, hundreds of additional Castor containers are currently expected to roll from Jülich to Ahaus. In this respect, the sixth arrival marks a routine but logistically significant intermediate step.

With each arrival in Ahaus, the inventory of highly radioactive material at the local interim storage facility grows. Operators and supervisory authorities point to the proven suitability of the Ahaus facility. The search for a national final repository for highly radioactive waste, however, remains unaffected by this.