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V International Conference AtomEco-2011 31 October - 1 November 2011

Responsible Management of Nuclear Waste - a Finnish Perspective

Risto Paltemaa
Director Nuclear Waste and Material Regulation Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Finland

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

Contents
Generation of nuclear waste Disposal of nuclear waste global situation Responsible management of nuclear waste why disposal? Scientific and technical basis of disposal Principles used in Finland when developing high level waste disposal plan National strategy in Finland Current situation /status of the disposal project

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

Background
Significant amount of high level nuclear waste exists today in all countries operating nuclear power plants or research reactors. Sound scientific and technical basis has been developed for safe disposal of high level waste Only a few countries have taken concrete steps to develop the technical concept and capability to implement the disposal. EU Commission has recently made a proposal for the Directive on the Management of Spent Fuel Radioactive Waste
this proposal urges planning of concrete actions, as opposite to wait and see approach

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

Generation of nuclear waste (1/2)

Two type of waste is generated in a power reactor:

high level waste contained in spent fuel bundles removed from the reactor
needs to be isolated from the environment for a very long time

low and intermediate level waste, typically 200-400 m3 in a year

needs to be isolated from the environment for a few hundreds of years
STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

Generation of nuclear waste (2/2)

Spent fuel generated in a typical power reactor in one year would fill about ten disposal canisters shown in the picture
diameter about 1 m length 3.6 m; 4.7 m; 5.2 m

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

Disposal of nuclear waste global situation today

No spent fuel and no high level waste separated from spent fuel has been disposed to a safe final repository
70% of spent fuel generated worldwide is kept in interim storages 30 % of spent fuel has been reprocessed, some of the separated uranium and plutonium has been used for manufacturing of new fuel

Disposal of low and intermediate level waste is an established activity: disposal facilities are in operation in many countries

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

The waste must be managed responsibly

Whole lifecycle of nuclear energy production must be planned to avoid exposure of people and environment from radiation Storage of high level nuclear waste is only a temporary solution long term storage is more risky than disposal
All high level waste management technologies existing or being developed today produce waste that must disposed of wait and see principle is not a responsible approach

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

There is sound scientific and technical basis for high level waste disposal (1/2)
Potential risk from spent nuclear fuel decreases by time; radioactivity compared to the uranium ore it was produced from
4000 000 at the time of removal from reactor 7000 after 40 years 100 after 500 years 15 after 10 000 years reaching 1 in about 250 000 years

Design target for reliable isolation of spent fuel from environment is thus 250 000 years

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

There is sound scientific and technical basis for high level waste disposal (2/2)
Basis for safety for geological disposal is well established and studied
Robust technology with multiple successive technical barriers is being developed Very conservative assumptions for safety analysis for radioactive material escaping beyond the technical barriers Even if technical barriers would fail already after some hundreds of years, the consequent radiation increase in the region of disposal facility would be very small and would be limited to a small area

Operation of spent fuel disposal facilities in Finland and in Sweden is planned to start in 10 15 years

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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Main principles used in Finland when developing high level waste disposal plan
We must not leave nuclear waste as a burden to future generations We must be able to manage our nuclear waste without foreign support, using the existing proven and robust technology Waste management process has to be transparent and open to international expert assessment Final disposal must be based on passively safe repository system, natural and technical barriers, and no reliance on long-term monitoring There needs to be a possibility to retrieve the waste, but the disposal has to be made in a safe manner without intention to retrieve There must be no unjustified delays in the implementation process In making amendment to Nuclear Energy Act in 1994, the Finnish Parliament concluded: we must not export any nuclear waste generated in Finland but take care of its disposal inside the country (and no import of foreign nuclear waste is permitted)
STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

Long term political commitment is needed to resolve the nuclear waste issue
Situation in Finland:
Governments strategic decision on waste management in 1983 setting the targeted schedule Three step licensing of the repository
Decision-in-Principle: Public and political acceptance, local vetoright Construction license and Operating license: Safety technical issues

Decision-in-Principle and choice of the site of high level waste repository in 2000 meeting the target set in 1983
STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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National strategy in Finland (1/5)

Establishing a clear process: Major milestones and timelines have been set in Governments decisions
3 step licensing process (decision-in-principle, construction license and operating license)

Safety requirements and targets specified in parallel with extensive R&D programmes: licensee sponsored research and national confirmatory research

Over the years, regular regulatory reviews

Nuclear power companies invest sufficient resources to meet the Governments decisions Site selection, characterization and confirmation, technologies, safety assessments and safety case
STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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National strategy in Finland (2/5)

Well defined roles and responsibilities: Main responsibility with the waste producer
development of the disposal concept, site selection, R&D to demonstrate safety

Licensing: Local municipality - Government - Parliament Regulatory control: STUK for safety, security and safeguards

Technical support organizations

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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National strategy in Finland (3/5)

Funding system established in early stage of nuclear power programme
Detailed rules in the Nuclear Energy Act and Nuclear Energy Decree specify the financing system and establish the State Nuclear Waste Management Fund The polluter pays principal, which includes all costs (also R&D and regulatory costs) Generators of nuclear waste are annually obliged to present justified estimates of the future cost of managing their existing waste including spent fuel disposal and decommissioning of NPPs The Ministry of Employment and the Economy confirms the assessed liability and the proportion of liability to be paid into the Nuclear Waste Management Fund (fund target) The waste generators pay annually the difference of fund target and the amount already existing in the Fund The current estimates: about 1900 million Euros with no discounting
STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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National strategy in Finland (4/5)

Local community hosting the repository has veto-right in the 1st step of the licensing process
The Nuclear Energy Law states Before making the Decision-inPrinciple, the Government shall ascertain that the municipality where the nuclear facility is planned to be located in its statement is in favour of the facility Local municipality has been able to study and review all aspects (financial, socio-political, technological, safety etc.) without risk that Government, or even Parliament, is able to force the municipality to host the repository against their will

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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National strategy in Finland (5/5)

Clear path forward:
Underground research laboratory Onkalo is being built to confirm the research on properties of the bedrock and the conditions in the repository Construction license for the actual repository and related facilities (e.g., waste encapsulation) to be applied for in 2012 Readiness for starting disposal and issuance of the operating license in 2020

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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Status of underground research facility construction in Olkiluoto 16.9.2011

Driving tunnel and all shafts are planned to become part of the disposal facility
Figures from Posiva Oy, http://www.posiva.fi/en/research_developm ent/onkalo/onkalo_excavation_situation/

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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Two alternative concepts being studied for disposing the waste canisters

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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European perspective
The Directive on the Management of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste has been issued
Consistent with the IAEA Safety Fundamentals and the Joint Convention Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management Responsibility for safety regulation is assigned to MS regulatory authorities Obligation to set up national programmes reporting and peer reviews provide flexibility Enforceable requirement: not to lag behind

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011

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Conclusions
Nuclear waste exists today and must be managed responsibly There is sound scientific and technical basis for disposal Finland is progressing towards disposal Proposal for the Directive on the Management of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste has been issued

STEILYTURVAKESKUS STRLSKERHETSCENTRALEN RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY

RP 21.9.2011