,- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
The research project KAnnE aims to identify, concretize, and quantify requirements for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal containers in Germany, considering potential types of host rock and repository concepts. The primary goal is to establish a transparent and comprehensible regulatory framework that accounts for different host rocks and operational phases, ensuring the safe long-term containment of radioactive waste. Given the current general legal formulation of these requirements, this study provides a systematic approach to defining them more precisely by integrating scientific and regulatory perspectives. An extensive review is conducted to gather relevant information about safety and design requirements for disposal containers in the respective types of host rock. The analysis considers host rock properties and conditions, operational repository conditions, and their impact on the container design, including key factors such as structural integrity, corrosion resistance, and shielding. Additionally, design specifications, boundary conditions, and expected loads (thermal, mechanical, radiological, chemical, and biological) are systematically reviewed, with quantified values provided where available.
The findings support a comprehensive evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative container requirements concerning potential German host rock types, waste forms, and repository concepts. By establishing a clearer basis for defining these requirements, this project serves as a foundation for further refinement, with a more detailed structuring of requirements currently in progress. Such regulatory basis allows a more targeted approach to container development and ensures a transparent evaluation within the repository licensing procedure. Additionally, it supports decision making on the most favorable container design by considering repository conditions that provide the highest level of safety over one million years.
This contribution explains the goals and concept of the research project KAnnE, presents its preliminary findings and conclusions, and provides an outlook on the final project phase
How to cite: Banerjee, A., Kömmling, A., and Völzke, H.: Enhancing Requirements for HLW Disposal Containers and Developing Transparent Safety Evaluation Concepts in Collaboration between BAM and BASE (Research Project KAnnE), Third interdisciplinary research symposium on the safety of nuclear disposal practices, Berlin, Germany, 17–19 Sep 2025, safeND2025-2, https://doi.org/10.5194/safend2025-2, 2025.
