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Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
An R&D Strategy for the Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel (1999)

Auteur	ETR (energy Transport Regions)
Datum	juni 1999
Classificatie	2.05.4.10/54 (GROOT-BRITTANNIË - AFVAL)
Voorkant

An R&D Strategy for the Disposal of High-Level Waste and Spent Fuel

Introduction

FOUR years ago, the then Government issued a White Paper (1) summarising its 
review of radioactive waste management policy. Among many other matters, it 
reviewed, for the first time in almost fifteen years, the management of high level 
waste (HLW), the intensely radioactive and heat-emitting residue from reprocessing 
spent nuclear fuel (SF). Government policy, since 1981 had been to store HLW for 
at least 50 years while it cools, pending final disposal in a geological repository 
at some hundreds of metres depth in a suitable rock formation. Although there had 
been much progress during this period on the conditioning of liquid HLW into 
vitrified, solid blocks, suitable for long-term storage and eventual disposal, little 
UK Research and Development (R&D) effort had been expended on disposal itself. 
The 1995 White Paper recognised that it had become appropriate for the UK to 
review the 'store and dispose' policy and, in particular, to prepare an R&D strategy 
which could lead, eventually, to the development of a repository for HLW.

The 1995 White Paper observed that some SF might also, in future, be declared a 
waste by the nuclear industry. For example. commercial considerations might lead 
electricity generators to view direct disposal of SF from some of the more modern 
reactors (Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors, AGRs, and Pressurised Water Reactors, 
PWRs) as preferable to reprocessing them. In this case, SF, displaying as it does 
very similar heat and radiation properties to HLW, ought sensibly to be considered 
for disposal along with the HLW. Consequently, an R&D strategy could be 
developed for both HLW and SF disposal.

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