Tenth Castor Transport in NRW Halted Due to Technical Defect

The police stated: "Von dem Transportbehälter sowie der Ladung ging zu keinem Zeitpunkt eine Gefahr aus. Der Defekt beschränkte sich ausschließlich auf die Zugmaschine." The incident therefore related exclusively to the transport vehicle; the Castor container itself and the fuel element spheres contained within it were not affected.

Background: 152 Containers, 300,000 Fuel Element Spheres

A total of 152 Castor containers are to be relocated from the grounds of the former Jülich research reactor in the Düren district to the interim storage facility in Ahaus in the Münsterland region. The distance between the two sites is approximately 170 kilometers. According to the responsible authorities, the specialized containers are part of one of the largest road-based nuclear waste relocation operations in decades.

The containers hold around 300,000 fuel element spheres. The fuel elements originate from the former experimental reactor operation in Jülich, which has been shut down for some time. The spheres must be transferred to the central interim storage facility in Ahaus, where they will be temporarily kept until a decision is made on their final storage.

With the aborted tenth transport, the ongoing series of Castor journeys from Jülich was interrupted. According to police, the canceled tenth transport would be made up as soon as a suitable replacement vehicle became available. Details of the further schedule were initially unknown.

Safety Precautions and Container Technology

The Münster police also informed the public that no residents along the planned route needed to be notified, as the container had not left the premises. Nor were any road closures or traffic disruptions between Jülich and Ahaus necessary.

The police stressed that extensive safety precautions always apply to such transports. These include escort vehicles, technical monitoring, and close coordination between the police, permitting authorities, and the logistics companies involved.

The Castor containers themselves are designed in accordance with the relevant licensing regulations so that they can withstand impacts, fires, and other external influences without any release of radioactive material. The now-publicized breakdown related exclusively to the tractor unit and not to the container, the police emphasized.

The overall logistics of the 152 containers is demanding: each trip moves a single Castor container on a special low-loader pulled by an appropriately equipped tractor unit. Because each transport is time- and personnel-intensive, technical breakdowns have a direct impact on the entire relocation schedule.

Impact on the Schedule

The authorities announced that they would investigate the cause of the technical defect on the tractor unit and incorporate the findings into the preparation of further transports. Until then, the procedure already prepared would be retained, which includes, among other things, the defined routes, stopping points, and safety intervals.

The Münster police described the incident as annoying but routinely manageable. Since neither people nor the environment had been endangered, the incident would be classified as a purely logistical breakdown. Further Castor transports from Jülich should continue as planned once a replacement vehicle had been organized.

In the region, the ongoing Castor series had already been accompanied by criticism and protests beforehand. Opponents of nuclear power had repeatedly pointed to the risks of such transports. The responsible authorities had consistently emphasized the safety of the containers and the transports.

Reactions and Political Context

The former research reactor in Jülich was one of several experimental reactors in Germany that have been shut down over the past decades. The fuel element spheres from Jülich are considered a particular challenge because they are stored in this form at only a few locations worldwide.

The interim storage facility in Ahaus has been in operation for decades and serves, among other things, for the interim storage of fuel elements from various research and experimental reactors. The facility has the appropriate halls and technical equipment to safely accommodate the containers.

Significance of the Ahaus Interim Storage Facility

With regard to the incident, those responsible expressed confidence that the ongoing transport series could continue as planned despite the interruption. When exactly the tenth transport would be made up remained initially unclear. The Münster police referred to further information from the responsible bodies.