THE IMMOBILISATION AND PACKAGING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES FOR DEEP GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL IN THE UK – CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

摘要

Implementation of UK Government Policy for the management of Intermediate Level Wastesrn(ILW) has led to the packaging of wastes in preparation for ultimate disposal in a deep geologicalrnrepository. These activities have now been ongoing for the past decade. In the UK, packaging ofrnILW is the responsibility of the waste producer, whereas development of disposal facilities for thernpackaged waste is the responsibility of UK Nirex Ltd (Nirex).rnA key issue facing the UK waste producers has been how to ensure that packages produced wouldrnmeet anticipated disposal requirements in advance of a repository being available. ThereforernNirex have developed a number of specifications for waste packages to ensure that wasternproducers’ plans for treating waste would be compatible with deep disposal. Thesernspecifications, which have been generated in collaboration with waste producers and are used inrnthe development of their waste management strategies, are based on the Nirex repository conceptrnand are robust to the eventual choice of repository site. They cover a range of requirementsrnincluding quality assurance, wasteform, containers and data recording.rnIn addition to the development of specifications, Nirex provides detailed advice on individualrnpackaging concepts with respect to the suitability of specific packaging plans and plant designs.rnAdvice is based on assessment of each packaging proposal against fifteen technical areas,rnincluding the nature of the waste, wasteform, container design, accident behaviour, transport andrnoperational requirements, and post closure safety. This approach has enabled the commencementrnof waste packaging operations with a high degree of confidence that the waste product will meetrnanticipated disposal requirements.rnThe paper provides a summary of the work carried out by Nirex to develop specifications and tornprovide advice. This includes the development of generic (i.e. non site-specific) disposalrnconcepts and safety cases, to ensure that the technical basis of advice to waste producers isrntransparently underpinned. The current status of waste packaging activities in the UK will bernsummarised, and the new challenges being faced arising from changes in waste managementrnpractices, are discussed.