ASN issues positive opinion on the safety options for Cigeo
On 15 January 2018, the Cigeo project passed a key milestone: the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) published a final opinion on the safety options report for Cigeo that Andra submitted in April 2016. The opinion is the result of an examination process that has lasted for more than a year, involving numerous stakeholders and culminating with a public consultation.
“The opinion is a positive step for us, and confirms our overall safety approach,” explains Soraya Thabet, Director of Safety at Andra. “ASN highlighted the technological maturity of the project and the quality of the report.” For the vast majority of the waste (more than 80%) intended for the Cigeo deep geological disposal facility, ASN considered that the safety options were satisfactory. It underlined a number of positive points, such as detailed knowledge of the geology of the site chosen for Cigeo’s location, knowledge of the facility components (waste packages, cells, drifts, shafts), as well as the safety approach adopted by Andra.
« ASN highlighted the technological maturity of the project and the quality of the report. »
All available information
ASN identified subjects for which Andra must provide additional substantiating evidence for the construction licence application: the architecture of the repository, its ability to withstand hazards, facility monitoring and post-accident situations.
“These requests are normal at this stage of the project,” notes Thabet. “When developing this Cigeo safety options report, we sought to provide all available information ahead of the construction licence application to identify the studies we still need to carry out before the next step.”
Two options under consideration for bituminous waste packages
ASN raised a point requiring particular vigilance with regard to a specific type of package: bituminous waste packages, which make up 18% of the volume of waste intended for Cigeo. ASN considers that, given the current state of research, bituminous waste packages cannot be disposed of at Cigeo, and requires further studies to be carried out with a view to a future decision for management of such packages. Andra and the radioactive waste producers are thus studying different options: either to process these packages prior to disposal in Cigeo, or to improve the design of zones dedicated for their disposal. “At Cigeo, only perfectly safe waste packages will be disposed of, but for this waste management solution, both possibilities must be studied before decisions can be taken.”
Andra now has a roadmap for carrying out further research studies required for the construction licence application, which will be submitted to ASN in 2019.