Overview

• The Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung signaled that shipments of 152 Castor casks from Jülich and 38 Castors from Garching could begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.
• The SPD opposition in North Rhine-Westphalia expects formal BASE approvals by mid-August, with six to eight weeks of logistical preparation ahead of multi-year road convoys.
• Local anti-nuclear groups and BUND NRW have sent a ‘Brandbrief’ demanding last-minute talks and announced a Sunday walk on August 31 followed by an Ahaus demonstration on October 4.
• The Gewerkschaft der Polizei warned that federal and state forces face severe personnel shortages for securing prolonged heavy-road transports due to Bundespolizei border commitments.
• Critics note that the Ahaus interim storage licence expires in 2036 and that reauthorization proceedings only begin in 2028, underscoring Germany’s unresolved permanent disposal strategy.