A thematic network on gas issues in safety assessment of deep repositories for nuclear waste

Project Information

GASNET

Grant agreement ID: FIKW-CT-2001-20165

Project closed

Start date 1 September 2001

End date 29 February 2004

Funded under

• Research and training programme (Euratom) in the field of nuclear energy (1998 to 2002)

Total cost

€ 259 332,00

EU contribution

€ 233 584,00

Coordinated by

UNITED KINGDOM NIREX LTD
United Kingdom

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Publications

Other (2)

A thematic network on gas issues in safety assessment of deep repositories for radioactive waste (GASNET). Final report on the treatment in safety assessments of issues arising from gas generation

Author(s): RODWELL W ET AL (Lead Author, Serco Assurance (GB)), NORRIS S (Coordinator, UK Nirex Limited (GB))
Published in: EUR 20620 EN (2003), 48pp. Euro: 15, 2003, Page(s) 48, ISBN 92-894-6401-1

Interlaboratory radiochemical analysis comparison on a primary waste flux

Author(s): RODRIGUEZ M (CIEMAT, Madrid (ES)), PIÑA G (CIEMAT, Madrid (ES)), GALLEGO C (GEOCISA, Córdoba (ES)), BIENVENU P (CEA, Cadarache (FR)), COMBES C (CEA, Cadarache (FR)), EXCOFFIER E (CEA, Cadarache (FR)), GYSEMANS M (SCK·CEN, Mol (BE)), VANDERLINDEN F (SCK·CEN, Mol (BE)), VOORS P I (NRG, Petten (NE)), FACHINGER J (FZJ, Jülich (DE)), MAISCHAK S (FZJ, Jülich (DE)), DOBBELS F (Belgoprocess, Dessel (BE)), ERVANNE H (University of Helsinki (FI)), DALE C (NNC (GB)), KLEIN F (University of Münich (DE)), FERRANDO M (ENEA (IT))
Published in: EUR 20616 EN (2003), 57pp. Euro: 15, 2003, Page(s) 57, ISBN 92-894-5446-6

Exploitable results

A thematic network on gas issues in safety assessment of deep repositories for radioactive waste

Gas is expected to be generated to some extent at least in all repository types for radioactive wastes currently envisaged in Europe. The generation rates and quantities of gas that are expected to be produced will vary with waste type and repository concept, but issues arising from gas generation need to be addressed in safety cases for all repositories, since they cannot be ruled out a priori for any repository type or concept. The study has produced a report that documents current approaches to the treatment of gas issues in the context of a safety case for a deep repository and discusses the strengths and limitations of these approaches, where appropriate. The emphasis is primarily on the requirements of safety cases rather than on reviewing understanding of gas generation and migration processes, as the latter has been dealt with recently elsewhere. Only the effects of gas generation after repository closure from the wastes and repository construction materials that are present are specifically addressed, although the influence of processes occurring prior to closure on the inventory of gas generating materials remaining at closure, does fall within the scope of the study. The report has been assembled by participants in the GASNET "Thematic Network on Gas Issues in Safety Assessment of Deep Repositories for Radioactive Waste", which was initiated and financially supported by the European Commission. The main body of the report consists of sections addressing the following issues: - The nature of the repository concept. - Gas generation. - Gas migration. - Consequences of gas generation. - Measures to mitigate the effects of gas generation. - Scenario analysis in relation to gas issues. - Communication of the treatment of gas issues within the context of a safety case. Identified uncertainties in assessing the effects of gas generation in repositories, and of those gas-related issues for which it currently remains difficult to provide a satisfactorily robust treatment are: - Long-term corrosion rates. - Microbial gas generation rates. - Release of gaseous 14C. - Gas migration in clays. - Evolution of the near field. - Influence of the excavation disturbed zone (EDZ). - Human intrusion. - Effects of gas transport on water movement. - Erosion of bentonite and colloid transport by gases.