An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts recently completed a safety evaluation ahead of France’s expected licensing decision in 2018 for the Cigéo deep geological repository, which will house the country’s high-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
The French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ANDRA) is leading the €25 billion ($26.1 billion) program to build the storage facility, which is projected to begin operation in 2025, starting with a pilot phase. The facility, to be built along the boundaries of the Meuse and Haute-Marne districts in northeast France, would represent the world’s first high-level waste facility, though Finland and Sweden have also made significant progress in developing their own sites.
The international review team included representatives from Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Finland, the U.K., the U.S., and Belgium, and focused on the strategy for research and development and safety assessment approaches for the repository. In its report released Monday, the team described France’s 2018 licensing timeline as “challenging,” while also offering recommendations for optimizing safety of the facility. The experts suggested that ANDRA consider water conducting features in the Callovo-Oxfordian (COX) formations of the region; further analyze high-level-waste container failure; and further examine microbial activity in the COX.
Safety has been a concern for the project, following an accident in January, when one person was killed and another injured during a tunnel collapse. Reuters reported the incident occurred while crews were taking measurements at the front of a 500-meter-deep tunnel at the site in Bure. ANDRA had been digging shafts to test soil formations for the repository.
The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) requested the IAEA review, which was conducted from Nov. 6-15. The team offered various recommendations for data gathering, data updating, and data preservation. It took into account seismic activity in the region and climate change, among other areas of concern.
