Paving the way for permanent disposal of underground nuclear waste
Nuclear power is set to contribute to the decarbonisation of the European energy system and achieve the ultimate goal of reducing dependency on fossil fuels. However, for a safe and reliable operation of nuclear power we will also have to develop a safe and reliable solution for the management of the radioactive high level waste produced by the nuclear power plants. The EU-funded LUCOEX (Large underground concept experiments) project set out to demonstrate the technical feasibility of four different repository concepts with the aim of introducing solutions supporting repository construction in many of the different geological host rocks found within the EU. The LUCOEX team conducted experiments at various underground research laboratories in Europe that focused on different concepts and geological and technical/legal requirements. The overall objective of these experiments was to take the next step in the stepwise develop of safe and reliable repositories across Europe. In France, project partners demonstrated the construction feasibility of a complete high-level cell in clay rock with a concept optimised for future waste retrieval. In Sweden, they demonstrated the construction and installation feasibility of a horizontal disposal concept in crystalline rock. Activities in Finland involved developing the final prototype machinery necessary for transporting and installing bentonite components, method and tools for filling the gap between the bentonite components and the host rock with bentonite pellets, as well as procedures and strategies for quality assurance and issue management. Work concluded with a successful full-scale installation by using the developed machinery and concepts. In Switzerland, researchers verified the technical feasibility of building a repository tunnel using conventional industrial equipment, optimised bentonite buffer material production and studied canister and buffer emplacement methods during underground conditions. LUCOEX successfully demonstrated the technical feasibility for safe and reliable disposal of radioactive waste in geological formations. This should pave the way for the first permanent geological repositories to be operating in Europe by 2025.
Keywords
Underground nuclear waste, hazardous radioactive waste, LUCOEX, underground facilities, geological repositories
