Nuclear Research in Germany

During the course of recent decades, German research establishments have developed into pacemakers of international nuclear high technology that can make a significant contribution in the present global revival of nuclear energy.

Regardless of the decision on the continued use of nuclear energy in Germany, very high demands will continue to be made on the safety of nuclear facilities operated in Germany and internationally and on the treatment and disposal of radioactive waste. For this it is essential that research and development work is carried on in this field in the public interest and that Germany actively participates in international projects. The research work on the long-term safety of final disposal is social sustainability research and is set up for the long term.

In the Karlsruhe Research Centre (FZK), which is a member of the Helmholtz Association, the Nuclear Safety Research (NUKLEAR) programme investigates scientific aspects of the safety of nuclear reactors and the safety of nuclear disposal. In order to implement the work in the sense of national sustainability research, it is necessary above all else to guarantee continued further development and maintenance of the scientific and technical competence, which is required for the operation of nuclear reactors, the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the treatment as well as disposal of radioactive waste. All the work is included within national and international cooperations and is a firm part of the framework programmes of the European Commission. With the in-depth support of industry and of the European Commission, work is also carried out on innovative reactor systems of the fourth generation, particularly in respect of safety, technology development, transmutation potential and economic viability.

The tasks of the Jülich Research Centre (FZJ), likewise a member of the Helmholtz Association, cover basic R& D work on the safety of nuclear engineering and waste management which is also carried out with international partners. They provide methods, data and experimental results, which are necessary for enhancement of the safety of light water reactors, modular high temperature reactors and in the field of nuclear waste management.

At the Dresden-Rossendorf site, member of the Kompetenzzentrum Ost (Skill Centre East), contributions are made to nuclear safety and waste management research and thus to the preservation of expertise in Germany. The focus is on the fields of material and component safety, thermohydraulics, reactor dynamics, incident analysis of nuclear reactors and radio-ecological work in connection with the waste deposits of former uranium ore mines in East Germany.

At present around 80 nuclear engineering postgraduates are being trained at the three sites in Karlsruhe, Jülich and Dresden. Demand from interested students is increasing dramatically. A large number of the postgraduates are financed through industry which offers the candidates excellent career entry prospects. The huge commitment of the energy industry, universities and the state governments in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia to preserving and enhancing skills and expertise have meant that since 2007 it has been possible to recreate or reinstate a total of 14 nuclear engineering professorships at the Karlsruhe and Jülich sites. In addition to numerous tangible research projects, the energy supply companies fund universities by way of endowed chairs and professorships, dissertation fellowships and the delegation of teachers.

E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall have agreed on largely regional responsibility in a sponsorship model. The Chair for Nuclear Engineering at the Technical University of Munich, the endowed chairs at the Aachen University of Technology and the endowed professorships at Heidelberg University may be cited as examples of the numerous projects funded. Beyond this, mention should be made of the AREVA Nuclear Professional School on the Karlsruhe site and the GNS-endowed professorship for the special field of final disposal at the Technical University of Clausthal.

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