Radioactive waste disposal and
environmental hazards
Geert Volckaert
Belgian Nuclear Research Center SCK•CEN
geert.volckaert@sckcen.be
Copyright © 2009
SCK•CEN
Belgian State Visit to Romania
Cercul Militar, Bucharest, July 8, 2009
Towards implementation of waste disposal
solutions
z Origin of nuclear waste in Belgium:
z 7 NPP’s, fuel fabrication (UOX, MOX),
reprocessing, historic waste, nuclear research,
medicine, industry
z Surface disposal L/ILW
z Site and disposal system selected
z License application 2011
z Operational ~2015
z Geological disposal ILW and HLW
z R&D started 1974 on clay host rock
z Decision process only recently started
z Safety and Feasibility Case 1 2013
z License application 2025
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
Near-surface disposal: multi barrier concept
proposed in Belgium
400 L drum
disposal installation
cover
concrete
module
drainage and inspection
Surface disposal in ~2060
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
SCK R&D activities related to LLW disposal
z Site characterisation
z Radionuclide and
contaminant transport
from waste to biosphere
z Performance/safety
assessment support to
ONDRAF/NIRAS
R a in fa ll
T e ch n ica l b arrie rs
In filtra tio n
W a ste
W a te r w e ll
1
2
U n sa tu ra te d so il
Groundwater flow
L ea ch in g
G ro u n d w ater tab le
3
A q u ife r
Im p e rm ea b le lay er
D M a/0 0 /0 1 1
zRadiotoxicity
zChemotoxicity
T ra n sp o rt =
d iffu sio n
+
a d v e c tio n & d isp ersio n
+
a d so rp tio n /d eso rp tio n
+
ra d io ac tiv e d ec ay
c la y
z Support to local
partnerships STORA and
MONA
Geological disposal: the clay option
W
Antwerpen
Mol
Lommel
E
NEOGENE
F
repository
BOOM CLAY
10 km
SCK•CEN/F0521/IW/00/16
Water flow direction in the aquifer
Leakage direction through the aquitard
F: fault area
z Boom Clay is reference
host formation for
methodological R&D in
Belgium
z Tertiary (30 My old)
stratified silty clay
z Approximately at 180 m
to 280 m depth beneath
the Mol/Dessel nuclear
zone
z Low permeability,
favourable geochemistry,
self sealing => all mass
transport limited to slow
diffusion process
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
SCK•CEN R&D scope related to safety
Performance assessment
Disturbed zone : * thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical coupling
Biosphere
Overlying aquifer
Concrete linerWaste:
: * alcaline plume effects
spent fuel
Backfill : * thermo-hydro-geochemicalcoupling
vitrified HLW&MLW
bitumen
Engineered Barrier system (EBS):
steel container
Stainless steel overpack :
concrete buffer
* corrosion mechanisms
Vitrified HLW or
Spent fuel :
Geosciences
* Dissolution processes
* radiolysis
* actinide solubility
Boom Clay
RN Migration
Underlying aquifer
Perturbations:
mechanical
chemical
thermal
gas
R&D scope related to feasibility: construction
of the URL HADES
2006
1982
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
R&D scope related to feasibility: sealing and
thermo-hydro-mechanics
z The PRACLAY gallery heater test
= simulation of heat of HLW at
scale 1 to 1 during 10 years!
z Start heating foreseen 2011
R&D on geological disposal requires
multidisciplinary interaction
z Direct interaction between
z Experimentalists and modellers
z PhD scientists and engineers
z Process level modellers and safety assessors
z Also with social scientist => important for awareness
about public perception/acceptance issues
z Strong international interaction through
z European Commission FP’s e.g.
FORGE on gas migration and TIMODAZ on thermo-hydromechanics of clays
z Collaboration with other programs on clay e.g.
Mont Terri project in CH
Andra project in Bure, Fr
z Collaboration with universities and research institutes
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
R&D on geological disposal requires
multidisciplinary interaction
z Direct interaction between
z Experimentalists and modellers
z PhD scientists and engineers
z Process level modellers and safety assessors
z Also with social scientist => important for awareness
about acceptability issues
z Strong international interaction through
z European Commission FP’s
Currently e.g. FORGE on gas migration and TIMODAZ on
thermo-hydro-mechanics of clays
z Collaboration with other programs on clay
Mont Terri project in CH
Andra project in Bure, Fr
z Collaboration with universities and research institutes
R&D Support to foreign nuclear waste
disposal programs
z Site selection
z Site characterisation
z Hydrogeology
z Clay characterisation
Mineralogy
Permeability
Porewater chemistry
z Evaluation of waste forms and waste inventories
z Modelling
z
z
z
z
Hydrogeolgical (HYDRUS)
Geochemical (PHREEQC, “Geochemists Workbench”)
Coupled flow and transport in unsaturated media (HP1)
Geomechanical modelling (Flac3D, CODE-BRIGHT,
LAGAMINE)
z Safety and performance assessment
z Methodology
z Modelling (PORFLOW, COMSOL multi-physics)
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
R&D Support to foreign nuclear waste
disposal programs: some examples
z Site selection & Site characterisation:
z Selection of potential clay host rocs in Lithuania, N-W
Russia and Slovakia
z Assistance in site characterisation for LLW disposal in
Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia
z Evaluation of waste forms and waste inventories
z Slovakia, Slovenia
z Training in modelling and safety and performance
assessment
z Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia,
z Implemented through:
z EC PHARE & TACIS program
z IAEA TC
z Bilateral agreements with financial support from the
Belgian Ministry of Economy or the foreign organisation
Topics for further collaboration with Romania
z Safety assessments
z Waste characterization
z Bituminized waste
z …….
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.
Thank you for your attention
Questions?
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SCK•CEN
Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie
Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucléaire
Stichting van Openbaar Nut
Fondation d'Utilité Publique
Foundation of Public Utility
Registered Office: Avenue Herrmann-Debrouxlaan 40 – BE-1160 BRUSSEL
Operational Office: Boeretang 200 – BE-2400 MOL
Copyright © 2009 - SCK•CEN - This is a copyright protected publication (2009). No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public without the
express written consent of SCK•CEN.