7th US/German Workshop on Salt Repository Research, Design, and Operation

Erika A.C. Neeft PhD Researcher

Central Organization for Radioactive Waste

Washington, DCSeptember 7-9, 2016

2

The past Dutch disposal concepts

Before 1982 Disposal on Land (OPLA:1982-1992) Commission Disposal Radioactive Waste (CORA:1995-2001) Research Program into geological disposal of radioactive

waste (OPERA: 2011-2016)

3

OPERA (2011-2015)

Hart J, Prij J, Schröder TJ, Vis G-J, Becker D.-A., Wolf J, Noseck U, Buhmann D – Collection and analysis of current knowledge on salt-based repositories, 2015, OPERA-PU-NRG221A

Hart J, Prij J, Schröder TJ, Vis G-J, Becker D.-A., Wolf J, Noseck U, Buhmann D – Evaluation of current knowledge for building the Safety Case for salt-based repositories, 2015, OPERA-PU-NRG221B

4

The past Dutch disposal concepts

Which types of waste were intended to be disposed? How is the geological disposal facility envisaged to be

constructed? How is the waste suggested to be emplaced? How is the suggested geological disposal facility suggested to

be closed? How has the Dutch parliament / government responded to

the disposal concepts?

5

Before 1982

Hamstra, only in Dutch available: Safety analysis for disposal of radioactive waste in a salt dome (Veiligheidsanalyse voor ondergronds in een zoutkoepel opbergen van radioactief afval) RCN-75-040 (1975) 1-75. Available as Appendix of only in Dutch available governmental report: Interdepartementale Commissie voor de Kernenergie (ICK), Radioactieve stoffen in Nederland bij een vermogen aan Kernenergiecentrales van 3500 MWe, ‘s Gravenhage: Staatsuitgeverij. Verslagen, adviezen rapporten nr. 41 Ministerie van Volksgezondheid en Milieuhygiëne (1975) 1-36

6

Before 1982

(Reprocessed) waste from 3500 MWe nuclear power Construction (excavation) by dissolution Emplacement solid LILW and HLW not indicated Closure not indicated Government: points of departure used for preliminary post-

closure safety assessment became site selection criteria

7

Before 1982

[Hamstra J, Verkerk B, The Dutch geologic radioactive waste disposal project, Commission of the European Communities – Nuclear Science, EUR 7151 (1981) 1-228.

Hamstra J, Janssen LGL, Velzeboer P Th, Further design work on a repository in a salt dome, EUR 9566 EN (1985) 1-51

8

Before 1982

(Reprocessed) waste from 3500 MWe nuclear power Construction (excavation) by dry drilling to limit corrosion of

drilling equipment; concreted steel liner for HLW bore holes Emplacement solid HLW (vitrified); lowering of flasks

Free fall (slowed down by compression of air, reducing impact collision by salt between flasks or deformable head of flask)

Wire Closure filling boreholes with mixture of slat, clay dust and fly

ash being topped by plug of granulate bentonite and sealing by salt-concrete and steel cover plate

Government: OPLA

9

OPLA (1982-1992)

Disposal concepts investigated in OPLA [EZ,1989]; In the second part of the programme (in OPLA 1A) research the right disposal concept only continued [EZ, 1993].Commissie Opberging te Land (OPLA), Onderzoek naar geologische opberging van radioactief afval in Nederland, Eindrapport fase 1 (1989) 1-130.Commissie Opberging te Land (OPLA), Onderzoek naar geologische opberging van radioactief afval in Nederland, Eindrapport Aanvullende onderzoek fase 1 (1993) 1-142.

10

OPLA (1982-1992)

Locatie-onafhankelijke studie inzake de aanleg, bedrijfsvoering en afsluiting van mogelijke faciliteiten voor de definitieve opberging van radioactief afval in steenzoutformaties in Nederland (OPLA 25 in overview report), Koninklijke Volker Stevin (1986) 1-351.

11

COVRA storage

12

OPLA (1982-1992)

Waste from two different nuclear power scenarios Construction by ‘conventional’ mine techniques Emplacement of (HLW) waste

in brine filled borehole by a wire in overpack (boreholes) Road-like vehicles (mine)

Closure Salt creep (boreholes)

Response government (1987) / parliament (1993)

13

OPLA (1982-1992)

Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment, Basisnotitie ten behoeve van de ontwikkeling van een toetsingscriterium voor de ondergrondse berging van radioactief afval (TOR) September 1987

14

OPLA (1982-1992)

Nuclear power waste Construction

Disposal caverns solid LILW either drilling or dissolution Small disposal boreholes

Emplacement Solid LILW dumping / road like vehicles Solid (vitrified HLW) making a stacking

Closure Every empty void volume filled with suitable material

15

OPLA (1982-1993)

Parliament (1993) 1) Isolate, control and monitor (ICM) principle; the disposal

facility should be organized in such a way that a maximum in safety can be achieved under normal and exceptional or unexpected circumstances. Therefore, isolation (of the waste) and control (of the safety) by possible human intervention should be optimal. Retrievability was considered necessary for the control of safety.

2) Integrated chain management; the waste should remain available for reuse should possibilities emerge to reintroduce the waste in the chain in an environmentally sound manner. Retrievability was considered necessary for potential reuse of the waste.

Dutch parliament paper: Opbergen van afval in de diepe ondergrond, Kamerstukken II, 1992-1993, 23163, nr. 1, 1-9.

16

CORA (1995-2001)

Cap rock

Shaft 2

Rock salt

800 m

200 m

Secondary ordisposal galleries

horizontal disposal cells;intervals of 10 m;one container ofradioactive wasteper cell

4 m

5 m

40 m

Main gallery

Shaft 1

Secondary gallery

Salt blocks

Waste container

Disposal cell0.5 m

4.3 m

Was only available in Dutch now in EnglishHart J, Prij J, Schröder TJ, Vis G-J, Becker D.-A., Wolf J, Noseck U, Buhmann D – Collection and analysis of current knowledge on salt-based repositories, 2015, OPERA-PU-NRG221A

17

CORA (1995-2001)

Was only available in Dutch now in EnglishHart J, Prij J, Schröder TJ, Vis G-J, Becker D.-A., Wolf J, Noseck U, Buhmann D – Collection and analysis of current knowledge on salt-based repositories, 2015, OPERA-PU-NRG221A

18

CORA (1995-2001)

Vitrified HLW Construction ‘conventional’ mine techniques Emplacement by road-like vehicles Closure by a suitable material Response Dutch parliament (2002)

Retrievability of waste is feasible