Generic Design Assessment: Summary of disposability assessment for wastes and spent fuel arising from the operation and decommissioning of UK HPR1000
This provides a preliminary judgement as to the potential acceptability for disposal to a geological disposal facility of the waste packages expected to arise from the UK Hua-long Pressurised Reactor (UK HPR1000).
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China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) and Électricité de France (EDF), through their joint venture company General Nuclear System Limited (GNSL), has entered the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process for the UK Hua-long Pressurised Reactor (UK HPR1000). At the request of GNSL, Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM) has undertaken a GDA disposability assessment to provide a preliminary judgement as to the potential acceptability for disposal to a geological disposal facility (GDF) of the waste packages expected to arise from the operation and decommissioning of the UK HPR1000. This disposability assessment will inform the GDA being undertaken by UK regulators.
This assessment has been based on information supplied by GNSL on the nature of operational and decommissioning higher activity solid radioactive wastes and spent fuel arising from the proposed UK HPR1000 and proposals for the packaging of these wastes. The GDA disposability assessment considers the compatibility of the proposed packages with the requirements for safe long-term management, including interim storage at the site of arising, transport, emplacement and potentially extended storage underground, and disposal. The current reference basis for such an assessment is the documented disposal system concept and safety case for a GDF, derived from the generic Disposal System Safety Case (DSSC).
The proposals for the packaging of the HPR1000 wastes are based on the use of UK standard waste containers consistent with RWM standards and specifications. The issues identified from the GDA disposability assessment for the UK HPR1000 could all be resolved through appropriate development of the proposals. There are no issues that would challenge the disposability of the wastes and spent fuel expected to be generated from operation and decommissioning of the UK HPR1000. Given a disposal site with suitable characteristics, the wastes and spent fuel from the UK HPR1000 are expected to be disposable.