Contribution of HADES URL to the development of the Cigéo project, the French industrial centre for geological disposal of high-level and long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in a deep clay formation

Armand, Gilles; Plas, F.; Talandier, Jean; Dizier, Arnaud; Li, X. L.; Levasseur, Séverine

doi:10.1144/sp536-2022-98

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…Although nuclear waste and plastic waste are distinct areas, there are some similarities in their management (Armand et al, 2023, Neksumi et al, 2022, Subba Rao et al, 2022, Zalasiewicz et al, 2019:…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep geological disposal of plastic waste: Pros and cons

Minasyan

2024

F1000Res

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Plastic production is growing, plastic waste is accumulating, and current waste management methods (recycling, incineration, etc.) are not yet able to solve this waste problem. Proposals and projects aimed at solving or facilitating the problem of plastic waste are therefore relevant. This article proposes a deep geological disposal method for plastic waste projects. The prototype for this project was the deep geological disposal of nuclear waste. Although plastic waste and nuclear waste are fundamentally different, the adequacy of this approach is justified by the fact that plastic waste, such as nuclear waste, has a a long degradation period and poses great danger to the environment, animals, and humans. The article is conceptual and examines the aspects necessary for the implementation of the project, such as the establishment of a special international UN agency for plastic waste management, specific sources of funding, giving plastic waste a monetary value, applying free market principles, and using existing potential opportunities for deep geological disposal of plastic waste. This article also discusses the proposed concept for finding more optimal options.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep geological disposal of plastic waste: Pros and cons

Minasyan

2024

F1000Res

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The construction of the HADES underground research laboratory and its role in the development of the Belgian concept of a deep geological repository

Bernard

Raymaekers

et al. 2023

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When SCK CEN launched an RD&D programme on geological disposal in the 1970s, it was not certain if a deep geological repository (DGR) could be constructed in poorly indurated clay. This was tested by constructing the HADES underground research laboratory (URL) in Boom Clay, 225 m below SCK CEN's site in Mol. The construction history of the URL reflects how the understanding of the Boom Clay increased and how the excavation techniques and design of the gallery lining improved. It demonstrated that shafts, galleries and crossings between galleries can be constructed using industrial techniques. It also allowed to characterize the hydromechanical response of the clay and the clay disturbances induced by the excavation. This increased understanding is also reflected in the evolution of the geological disposal concept considered in Belgium. The current disposal concept foresees the installation of seals in the shafts and galleries. The HADES URL also offered the opportunity to test possible seal designs and develop a better understanding of the behaviour of bentonite, a possible seal material due to its swelling capacity, under in situ conditions.

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Geological disposal of radioactive waste in deep clay formations: celebrating 40 years of RD&D in the Belgian URL HADES

Geet

Bruggeman

Craen

2023

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The option of disposing radioactive waste deep underground has already been studied in Belgium by SCK CEN since the 1970s. This led in 1980 to the construction of the HADES underground research laboratory (URL) in a clay formation, the Boom Clay, at a depth of 225 m under the premises of SCK CEN in Mol. Over the last four decades, many in situ experiments have been conducted in the HADES URL. These have made a significant contribution to ONDRAF/NIRAS' research, development and demonstration (RD&D) efforts demonstrating that disposal in Boom Clay can offer a safe solution for the long term management of high-level and/or long-lived radioactive waste. Moreover, the construction of the HADES URL itself is a demonstration that shafts and galleries can be constructed in clay at that depth. However, the HADES URL did not only contribute to the Belgian programme. Many of the in situ experiments have been part of international research and the laboratory has provided valuable input to the research programmes of other URLs, such as the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL in France and the Mont Terri rock laboratory in Switzerland. This paper gives a brief overview of the main contributions of the HADES URL to both national and international research into geological disposal.

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Contribution of HADES URL to the development of the Cigéo project, the French industrial centre for geological disposal of high-level and long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste in a deep clay formation

Cited by 3 publications

References 29 publications

Deep geological disposal of plastic waste: Pros and cons

Deep geological disposal of plastic waste: Pros and cons

The construction of the HADES underground research laboratory and its role in the development of the Belgian concept of a deep geological repository

Geological disposal of radioactive waste in deep clay formations: celebrating 40 years of RD&D in the Belgian URL HADES

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