Disposal of HLW and ILW/LLW at the same site: challenges in an international context

Title:  Disposal of HLW and ILW/LLW at the same site: challenges in an international context

Authors:  Maurer-Rurack, U.*, Poller, A., Hardie, S., Poppei, J., Voss, M. **, Smith, P. ***

* Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE), Berlin, Germany

** CSD Ingenieure AG, Switzerland

*** Safety Assessment Management GmbH, Switzerland

 

Abstract:

Germany is looking for the site with best possible safety for an HLW (high level waste) repository. In the site selection procedure of Germany three host rocks: rock salt, clay and crystalline rock are considered. In accordance with §1 (6) of the StandAG (German Site Selection Act), an additional disposal of ILM/LLW (intermediate level/low level waste) might be allowed at the same site, provided that its characteristics satisfy the best possible safety criteria for the sole disposal of HLW waste. This point will be addressed within the framework of preliminary safety investigations pursuant to §27 (5) of the StandAG in the individual phases of site selection process for the HLW repository, according to the current state of science and technology.

The GemEnd research project (2022, in press) investigates the possible mutual influence of these different types of repositories at the same site and the resulting safety-relevant consequences for the HLW repository system in Germany.

This contribution provides an overview of the currently existing international disposal programs of non-heat-generating waste (ILW/LLW) and heat-generating waste (HAW) at the same site in the following countries: Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) also considers co-disposal of HLW and ILW/LLW as an option that has advantages over separate repositories. But particular critical interactions caused by gas formation and gas transport as well as interactions of cementitious materials with other engineered components and the host rocks should not be forgotten (IAEA 2009, 2018).

On this basis, existing international disposal programs for HLW and ILW/LLW at the same site are compared with each other. Important similarities and differences for the transferability of the findings to the site selection procedure in Germany are presented. Finally, the approach of other countries can contribute to a better assessment of the safety implications in Germany.