Deep borehole disposal

A second group of countries such as Switzerland215 and Germany216 have launched actual site search programs, which are expected to be completed within the next good decade. The other countries have programs on a different level. The blurredness of the projects is visible. Small countries, in particular, find it difficult to cope with such a program. Status and progress in China is difficult to assess.217 Little is known about progress of the program in Russia, which has a peculiar disposal concept in underground repositories in crystalline rocks in Siberia with specific waste forms and packages that should be disposed of into 75 meter long drillholes with no intention of retrieving them again.218 Finally, it should be mentioned that the international programs that were the subject of repeated debate until a decade ago (e.g. Pangea, Arius) are apparently not considered to be feasible.219 It should also be noted that Russia has already offered to take over high-level waste from third countries and has accepted to take back spent nuclear fuel.220

As already stated, project planning is in progress. The repository design projects, which are based on the original Swedish KBS project, have varied somewhat over the years, as for example the development of the Belgian supercontainer shows.221 Whether such strategies can ultimately be implemented, however, can only be determined in the context of industrial development and maturity. The same applies to the whole complex of retrievability and retrieval techniques that have to be developed for high-radiation waste and tested on an industrial scale. The relevant research, development and demonstration programs (RD&D) must be adapted accordingly. Finally, the central role of process management and governance such as structures, organization, and oversight needs to be adapted and developed to the necessities of far-sighted transparent projects.

DEEP BOREHOLE DISPOSAL

As already mentioned, various new projects concerning deep borehole disposal have been under discussion in last ten years. But as in the case of the mine concept, extensive in-situ feasibility tests and demonstration facilities are required in order to bring the concept to industrial maturity. The time frame is likely to be in the range of decades.

Overall the management of LILW programs in many countries using nuclear energy today is a routine task that is carried out under controlled conditions. However, a number of fundamental issues still need to be addressed and resolved such as bituminized waste, organic waste, diversity of medical, industrial and research waste and associated treatment and storage problems. Today, two main basic concepts exist for high-level waste: mined repository in 500-1000 meters depth and the deep borehole concept. They need to be specified in many essential questions and their functionality has to be tested on an industrial scale under controlled process conditions. It is assumed that the proof of feasibility will take several decades at least.

215 Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Deep Geological Repository sectoral plan (SDGR), viewed 6 August 2019, https://www.uvek-gis.admin.ch/BFE/storymaps/EA_SachplanGeologischeTiefenlager/?lang=en 216 Öko-Institut e.V. 2017, Standortsuche Atommüll-Endlager (Site search for nuclear waste repositories), pp. 13, viewed 6 August 2019, https://www.oeko.de/uploads/oeko/das_institut/institutsbereiche/nukleartechnikanlagensicherheit/Lehrerhandreichung.pdf 217 Shu, J., Liu, Z., Lin, X., Wang, R. 2016, A Review of the Development of Nuclear Waste Treatment for China’s Nuclear Power Industry, International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD 2016). Atlantis Press. 218 Laverov, N. et al. 2016, The Russian Strategy of Using Crystalline Rocks as a Repository for Nuclear Waste, Elements 12(4) pp. 253-256; NEA 2014, Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning in the Russian Federation, viewed 6 August 2019, https://www.oecd-nea.org/rwm/profiles/Russian_Federation_report_web.pdf 219 World Information Service on Energy (WISE) 2012, “Multinational approaches”, viewed 6 August 2019, https://www.wiseinternational.org/nuclear-monitor/746-747-748/multinational-approaches 220 Encyclopedia, 2001, Russia Agrees To Take The World’s Nuclear Waste, Encyclopedia.com, viewed 6. August 2019, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/energy-government-and-defense-magazines/russia-agrees-takeworlds-nuclear-waste-where-put-it 221 Lavasseur, S., van Geet, M., Sillen, X. 2018, The Belgian Supercontainer Concept, ONDRAF/NIRAS, viewed 6 August 2019, https://igdtp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2.T2.1155-Levasseur-ONDRAF-Supercontainer-IGDTP.pdf