Speaker
Description
Andra is preparing an application for the creation of a geological disposal facility in East of France, Meuse Haute-Marne area: Cigéo Project. The project will be implemented in the vicinity of Andra’s Meuse Haute Marne Underground research laboratory which has been operated since 2000. The project aims at disposing of vitrified HLW produced by the reprocessing of spent fuel, as well as a range of ILW, including metallic parts of the fuel assemblies separated during reprocessing and various operational wastes. Cigéo design capacity covers existing HLW and ILW in France as well as wastes which will be produced in the next decades by the operation and decommissioning of all existing French nuclear facilities. ILW will be disposed of from early stages of the operational phase while HLW will be accommodated after a few decade storage phase for thermal decrease. A total 100 year operational period is envisaged. By law Cigéo project is designed consistently with reversibility requirements. This includes a number of means to make it possible to modify decisions along the process, such as progressivity and flexibility in the implementation of disposal cells. Within this framework the very first period of the project will be a pilot industrial phase. A particular emphasis is being given to the « adaptability » of the project, which is considered as part of its reversibility and is expected to be assessed within the application. Provisions are made so that next generations can adapt the operational process to accommodate potential changes in the French spent fuel and waste management policy and strategy. This includes the potential direct disposal of spent fuel.
| Country or International Organization | France |
|---|---|
| Do you wish to enter the YGE SFM19 Challenge? | Yes |
