DEVELOPMENT OF THE SWEDISH DEEP REPOSITORY FOR SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL IN CRYSTALLINE HOST ROCK
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SKB, has developed a system that ensures the safe handling of all kinds of radioactive waste from the Swedish nuclear power plants for a long time period ahead. The keystones of this system are: A transport system with the ship M/S Sigyn which has been in operation since 1983. A central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, CLAB, in operation since 1985. A final repository for short-lived, low and intermediate level waste, SFR, in operation since 1988. In Sweden, the preferred method for final disposal of spent fuel is to encapsulate it in copper canisters and dispose them in a deep geological repository in crystalline host rock. SKB is planning to build an encapsulation plant adjacent to the central storage for spent fuel, CLAB. The siting for the deep repository has not yet been selected. A siting program with feasibility studies was completed in 2001. Early 2002 SKB received the necessary permits to start the site investigation at two potential sites for siting of the deep repository in Sweden. The site investigation at these sites started early 2002 and will be completed during 2007. Over the years, a number of generic studies of the layout of the operational area(s) above ground and underground facilities have been performed. During the site investigation phase the deep repository will be developed to conceptual design status and a number of design studies will be performed. These design studies are called Design Justification Statements (DJS). One important DJS is the selection of access routes from the ground level to the disposal level at tentatively 500 m depth and that study will be completed shortly. The repository design and layout of the disposal areas will be based on site specific conditions and results from demonstration of handling and equipment for canisters, buffer and backfilling. Some of these demonstrations have already been performed at Dspv HRL but additional development and testing will be needed. The design and repository engineering work during the site investigation phase will be presented in this paper. The long-term safety of the repository will also be determined based on the arrangement of the underground area of the repository and the site-specific geological conditions. The deep repository facility description and the long-term safety assessment are two important reports that will be included in the license application for siting and construction of the deep repository. The time needed for receiving the necessary permits is estimated to about two years. The construction time including installation and final commissioning of equipment is estimated at about 6 years. Deposition of copper canisters with spent fuel is planned to start late 2015 and end about 2050.
- Research Organization:
- Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, Box 5864, SE-102 40 (SE)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 826245
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/23/2003--02/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 27 Feb 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CONSTRUCTION
CONTAINERS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
GROUND LEVEL
LICENSE APPLICATIONS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SPENT FUELS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE