IAEA Predisposal

Radioactive Waste

Activities

Rebecca RobbinsPreDisposal Team Leader

Waste Technology Section, NEFW

Andrey GuskovWaste Safety Specialist

Waste & Environmental Safety Section, NSRW

Outline

Background

Nuclear

power

plants

Research

reactors

Use of

radioactive

sources

Radioactive waste: a global issue

International Conventions & Standards

Code of Conduct on

the Safety & Security of

Radioactive Sources

Euratom Waste

Directive

Joint Convention on the

Safety of Spent Fuel

Management & on the

Safety of Radioactive

Waste Management

Common challenges, shared frameworks

IAEA Safety Standards

Fundamental Safety Principles

Requirements – Legal, Technical

and Procedural Safety Imperatives

Guidance on best

practice to meet

requirements

Clear, layered, and applied international regulatory guidance

IAEA Waste

Technology Section

The IAEA Waste Technology Section

• Promote information exchange

• Cooperative research

• Capacity building in Member StatesWATEC (Advisory Committee)

Waste Technology Section

WTS KEY OBJECTIVE

Cost effective, fit-for-purpose solutions to safely

manage radioactive waste (past, present & future) are

key to ensuring the future sustainability of nuclear

energy and nuclear applications

We know how to manage radioactive waste

Disposal solutions and paths exist (or are well understood) for the vast majority of

radioactive waste

WTS Priorities

Fix the

future

Address

the past

Small

inventory

solutions

Share

good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Priority: Fix the future

Fix the

future

Address the

past

Small inventory

solutions

Share good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Promote the concept of:

• Integrated cradle to grave waste management before

activities begin to generate RWM

• Transition to proactive RWM rather than reactive

• Plan and assure that all waste has a clear, identified pathway

to disposition

Priority: Address the past

Fix the future

Address

the past

Small inventory

solutions

Promote good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

• The large and complex legacy of waste from past activities

leads to a negative perception nuclear energy its applications

as well as presenting a significant safety hazard.

• Implementation of solutions to manage this legacy is

essential to ensuring a sustainable future for nuclear

technology.

Priority: Small inventory solutions

Fix the future Address the

past

Small

inventory

solutions

Promote good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Small Inventory Challenges

Priority: Share good practices

Fix the future Address the

pastSmall inventory

solutions

Promote

good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Priority: Facilitate societal acceptance

Fix the future Address the

pastSmall inventory

solutionsPromote good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

• Stakeholder involvement (SI) is an essential part of any

complete, efficient and safe nuclear programme.

• “Context-specific” SI is a “make or break” component of any

disposal programme, especially for DGR

• Needs: Using sound approaches for SI; Understanding local

stakeholders expectations; Getting policy makers on board

IAEA PredisposalPhilosophy

Cradle to Grave RWM• Key is identifying viable pathways to move all

waste towards disposal while maintaining flexibility

for future decisions regarding the end-point

• Disposal is preferred but if not feasible at this time,

storage of well characterized, stable waste

packages in a way that can accommodate

potential future disposal options

Graded

Approach

Key RWM Interfaces

Safety Case and Safety Assessment

• The concept of Safety Case has been circulated for many years

• IAEA defines it as the collection of arguments and evidence to demonstrate the safety of a facility.

– “All” nuclear facilities

– Graded approach – consider complexity and risks of the facility

• The SC has to be developed in the early phases of the development of a project

– For the operator as a basis for internal decisions (R&D, site selection and evaluation, design conceptualization…) as well as

– for dialogue with the regulator and stakeholders

IAEA Predisposal Activities

• Publications

• Coordinated Research Projects

• Databases & benchmarking systems

• Training courses & workshops

• Technical Cooperation

• Peer reviews

• Networks & eTools

> 120 IAEA publications in the

area of pre-disposal radioactive

waste management

All available on iaea.org

Predisposal Background• Predisposal technical solutions exist for nearly all types of waste – the

challenge is facilitating access to fit-for-purpose solutions commensurate with the

MSs resources (financial & technical capacity) and inventory size

• Disposal timescales are long and MSs should take a dual path approach of

moving waste to safe storage whilst keeping flexibility for future end point

(disposal) options

• Waste from past practices continues to be a challenge, to the detriment of

the perception of nuclear technology and its applications

• Integrated waste management planning is key to ensuring all existing and

future waste is minimized and has a viable pathway to disposal

• Establishment and maintenance of a well characterized and understood waste

inventory is essential to facilitate timely and cost-effective radioactive waste

management

PREDISPOSAL KEY MESSAGE

Adoption of a life-cycle approach based on the waste hierarchy

reduces the radioactive waste management burden.

Characterization and maintenance of a waste inventory are key to

cost-effective predisposal management.

Technical solutions for the predisposal management of radioactive waste exist for the majority of

waste types/streams

In the absence of disposal, identification of viable pathways to move all waste towards safe storage

of well characterized, stable waste packages in a way that maintains flexibility to comply with

future disposal concepts

IAEA PredisposalCurrent work programme

Pre-disposal Domain

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Pre-disposal Handbook SeriesPart I: Technical Overview – provides a concise summary of technical information.

Part II: Annexes* – provide detailed information on technical options, design basis, operational requirements, best practices, lessons learned, emerging technologies

Drafts will be made available on the IPN

network site as they become available

RWM Fundamentals

• Establishment of Waste Acceptance

Criteria for L&IL – final draft

• TM 23-27 November 2020 (Virtual)

Future new publications:

• Establishment of a waste inventory

• Implementation of the waste hierarchy

Thematic Publications

• Decontamination methodologies & approaches

• Current status of predisposal management of institutional

radioactive waste

• Methodologies & approaches to address waste from past

activities

• Radiation effects in waste forms

• Techniques & technologies for the reduction of radioactive

liquid & gaseous discharges from nuclear power plants

• Experience and lessons learned in the management of

radioactive waste resulting from nuclear accidents

• Processing & storage of high activity solid waste from

reactor cores and structures

• GRAPA project summary – processing & storage

approaches for the management of irradiated graphite

All draft documents are

close to publication &

drafts will be made

available on the IPN

network site

ECLiPSE Project – Joint NS/WES & WTS

• Enhancing Confidence over the Lifetime of

Predisposal Safety Management

• Primary focus – safety and technology

aspects of storage for small volume

inventories

– Reference designs for

– Safety assessment and safety case for

storage

IAEA Co-ordinated Research ProjectsCRPs are tools to encourage information exchange/cooperation on on-going R&D

activities in MS on selected topics of common interest.

– Alpha bearing organic waste

– Framework for borehole disposal (Participants, see below)

Initiated in 2019

➢ ANSTO & CSIRO, Australia

➢ CNEN, Brazil

➢ IPEN, Brazil

➢ BNRA, Bulgaria

➢ SERAW, Bulgaria

➢ AECL, Canada

➢ CNL, Canada

➢ CNSC/CCSN, Canada

➢ CIRP, China

➢ ANDRA, France

➢ BGE, Germany

➢ BAPATEN, Indonesia

➢ BATAN, Indonesia

➢ Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning, Norway

➢ NRWDI, South Africa

➢ SNL, USA

CM: Cementitious materials for backfill and closure

“Virtual meeting” – March/April 2020, IAEA

RCM: First Participants (RCM) Meeting

“Presence meeting” - December 2020, IAEA (Vienna)

Radioactive Waste & SF Inventory(https://sris.iaea.org/#/home)

SRIS – Waste Inventory Database Status and Trends in RWM & SF

• SRIS is the agency’s new waste

inventory information tool Spent Fuel

& Radioactive Waste Information

System

• Developed in collaboration with EC

• SWIFT – an associated information

tool that allows Member States to

compile their national reports – EC

Waste Directive, JC etc.

• Provides an international overview of SF & RW inventories, global status and trends

• Prepared incollaboration with MSs, EC, OECD NEA & WNA

• The next update will be published in 2020

Inventory data are reported once

and can be used by MSs for

several different purposes

Provides visibility of shared

challenges & proven solutions

WWER Benchmarking• 56 WWER type reactors operating world-wide -15 under

construction

• Originally, WWERs were constructed with sufficient

storage for the plant lifetime

• NPP life extensions led to the necessity for waste

minimization & processing

• In ~2006 IAEA implemented a WWER benchmarking

program

• Collected key waste related performance data– Storage & disposal options

– Waste processing options

– Liquid processing options

– Wet solids data

– Dry solids data

• Aim is to promote good practices and

waste minimization

• Potential to expand the concept to

other reactor types and organizations

Launched during IAEA General Conference, September 2019

Nuclear Communicator’s Toolbox (https://www.iaea.org/resources/nuclear-communicators-toolbox)

Content will be continuously added or updated, based on Member States

feedback and input received during dedicated meetings.

Professional Networks

Toolkit for PredisposalExisting Technologies

and Practices

https://nucleus.iaea.org/Pages/connect.aspx

Wiki – covering all aspects of RWM

• Decommissioning wiki fully functional on IDN Network

• Currently expanding wiki content to cover all of radioactive waste management

– Predisposal

– Disposal

– Decommissioning

– Environmental Remediation

• Type of content:– Facilities

– Technologies

– Lessons Learned

– Good practices

– ……Disposal Facilities World-

wideToolkit for Predisposal Existing Technologies

and Practices

Capacity Building – Training

Workshop on Problematic Waste from

Decommissioning

• Expert lectures

• Group exercises where participants can

work together on typical challenges

• Technical visit to for example FGUP

RADON to observe different treatment

technologies being applied in practice

Training Course on Fundamentals for

Developing a RadWaste Disposal Facility

• Expert lectures, e-Learning modules,

national program status, practices &

lessons learned

• Interactive discussion sessions and

working group activities

• Site visit

Courses organized to transfer RWM and SFM knowledge and good practices on

topics of interest to Member States

RER9143 TC Project Activities

• Seminar: Preparation of waste management

strategic plans (large program/inventory

countries)

• Seminar: Preparation of waste management

strategic plans (small program/inventory

countries)

• Workshop: Clearance of radioactive waste

from regulatory control including conditional

& free release

• Workshop: Waste Acceptance Criteria and

Predisposal Operations

• Training course on the clearance of

radioactive waste from regulatory control

• Workshop: Selection and deployment of

technical options for processing, packaging

and storage

• Workshop: Characterization methods for raw

and conditioned radioactive waste

• Workshop: Concepts and designs for the

disposal of small volumes radioactive waste

• Workshop: Processing of legacy radioactive

waste

• Workshop: Processing of problematic waste

streams

• Workshop: Characterization of Radioactive

Waste during Predisposal Operations

• Workshop: Siting Approaches, Technologies

and Criteria

• Workshop: Modular design and mobile

processing facilities for small users

• Workshop: Storage of the Radioactive

Waste

• Workshop: Management of institutional

radioactive waste

• Workshop: Processing of radioactive waste

from decommissioning

• Workshop: Concepts & designs of L&VLLW

disposal facilities

• Workshop: Methodologies for management

of RADON-type facilities

• Workshop: Roadmap to Geological Disposal

• Workshop: Concepts and Designs for Very

Low Level Waste (VLLW), Low Level Waste

(LLW) and Disused Sealed Radioactive

Sources (DSRS) Storage Facilities

• Training Course on the Fundamentals for

Developing a Radioactive Waste Disposal

Facility

• Workshop: Organizing and conducting the

review of the safety case and safety

assessment for disposal, establishing

conditions of authorisation, developing

compliance assurance programmes, and

performing inspections

• Workshop on development of the safety

case and safety assessment of predisposal

management activities and facilities

• Workshop: Development of the safety case

and safety assessment of geological

disposal facilities and Activities for the Safe

Management of radioactive waste

RER9143 TC Project Activities• Seminar: Preparation of waste management strategic

plans (large program/inventory countries)

• Seminar: Preparation of waste management strategic plans (small program/inventory countries)

• Workshop: Clearance of radioactive waste from regulatory control including conditional & free release

• Workshop: Waste Acceptance Criteria and Predisposal Operations

• Training course on the clearance of radioactive waste from regulatory control

• Workshop: Selection and deployment of technical options for processing, packaging and storage

• Workshop: Characterization methods for raw and conditioned radioactive waste

• Workshop: Concepts and designs for the disposal of small volumes radioactive waste

• Workshop: Processing of legacy radioactive waste

• Workshop: Processing of problematic waste streams

• Workshop: Characterization of Radioactive Waste during Predisposal Operations

• Workshop: Siting Approaches, Technologies and Criteria

• Workshop: Modular design and mobile processing facilities for small users

• Workshop: Storage of the Radioactive Waste

• Workshop: Management of institutional radioactive waste

• Workshop: Processing of radioactive waste from decommissioning

• Workshop: Concepts & designs of L&VLLW disposal facilities

• Workshop: Methodologies for management of RADON-type facilities

• Workshop: Roadmap to Geological Disposal

• Workshop: Concepts and Designs for Very Low Level Waste (VLLW), Low Level Waste (LLW) and Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources (DSRS) Storage Facilities

• Training Course on the Fundamentals for Developing a Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

• Workshop: Organizing and conducting the review of the

safety case and safety assessment for disposal, establishing conditions of authorisation, developing compliance assurance programmes, and performing inspections

• Workshop on development of the safety case and safety assessment of predisposal management activities and facilities

• Workshop: Development of the safety case and safety assessment of geological disposal facilities and Activities for the Safe Management of radioactive waste

IAEA TC workshops, training courses and seminars provide an opportunity to

share expertise, gain feedback on end user’s needs & pilot draft guidance

IAEA PredisposalFuture programme

Addressing waste from past practices

Fix the future

Address

the past

Small inventory

solutions

Promote good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Facilitation of strategies & plans for dealing with legacy waste

• Guidance on characterization methodologies, approaches

and techniques

• Decision methodology to underpin RWM strategy

• Raise awareness of the implementation options for

predisposal management options for legacy type waste

inventories

• Good practices for waste processing & storage in the

absence of defined disposal end point

Small Inventory Solutions

Fix the future Address the

past

Small

inventory

solutions

Promote good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Strengthen MSs capacity to identify, plan and implement fit-for

purpose programmes

• Raise awareness, understanding & selection of available

implementation options

• Development of reference designs for processing and

storage

• Promotion of waste management strategies that maintain

flexibility for future decisions/endpoints

Share good practices

Fix the future Address the

pastSmall inventory

solutions

Promote

good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Share good practices

Fix the future Address the

pastSmall inventory

solutions

Promote

good

practices

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Proven

Technologies

Core Radioactive

Waste Management

Principles

Integrated Waste

Management

Concept

Supporting Tools

Fix the future Address the

pastSmall inventory

solutions

Promote

Good

Practice

Facilitate

societal

acceptance

Status & Trends

in Spent Fuel &

Radioactive

Waste

Management

Spent Fuel &

Radioactive

Waste

Information

System

WWER

Operational

Waste

Benchmarking

System

Radioactive

Waste

Management

Registry

The future of RWM World-wide• Life-cycle radioactive waste management planning begins before any waste is

generated

• Waste hierarchy principles are adopted (avoid, minimize, recycle, reuse, dispose) to minimize waste going to disposal

• End-of-life plans are in place for all new sealed sources (i.e. recycle, return, disposal)

• All waste is characterized at the point of generation

• A waste inventory is created and tracked at all life-cycle stages

• Fit-for-purpose processing, storage and disposal solutions are selected and implemented in a timely manner

• Adequate provision is made for radioactive waste management resources at all stages –financial, technical and human

Future RWM responsibilities can be planned & provided for

Thank you!