Environmentally appropriate technologies for the final disposal of radioactive waste of the Belarusian NPP

The Strategy for radioactive waste management of the Belarusian NPP envisages construction of the first stage of the radioactive waste disposal facility (RWDF) by 2030. According to the IAEA methodological approach, drafting of the conceptual design of the RWDF constitutes the initial phase of its designing. Within the framework of the pre-investment stage of the mentioned RWDF construction according to the agreement between the Ministry of Energy and the scientific institution "JIPNR – Sosny", the task to develop a conceptual design of disposal facility for very low-level, low-level and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste (RW) of the Belarusian NPP, generated in the process of its operation and decommissioning, based on the reference technologies and existing projects, was accomplished. Тhe St. Petersburg subsidiary of "Special scientific and production association "Eleron" – VNIPIET took part in the development of the project. Currently, a conceptual design for the construction of the RWDF determines the first stage of construction separately. Within the conceptual design of the RWDF, standard solutions were developed without reference to a particular location of the facility, but taking into account the engineering-geological conditions in the areas of competitive and optimal RWDF sites. The means of conditioning the RW removed from the NPP were substantiated to ensure the compliance of the final RW packaging forms with the general acceptance criteria for disposal, and technological solutions for management of the waste at the point of disposal were suggested. Methods and structures of the RW disposal constructions, as well as basic technical solutions for the auxiliary buildings, facilities and systems of engineering support of the specified RWDF, ensuring safe and economically feasible disposal of RW generated from the two nuclear power units during 60 years of operation and at the NPP decommissioning, were justified based on the regulatory requirements and the alternative reference technologies and the existing projects. The suggested conceptual RWDF design included the following: • evaluation of its radiation safety during operation and long-term safety after closure (during the post-operational period); • a list of possible accidents at RWDF and necessary emergency measures was identified; • limits for RWDF safe operation on radionuclides emissions and discharges were justified; • suggestions for the organization of the radiation control and monitoring system for the RW disposal system during the RWDF operation and the post-operational period were presented. It is clear that the suggested RWDF concept ensures safe RW disposal in the period of potential danger of the RW, taking into account possible external impacts of natural and man-made origin. The aggregate technical and economic parameters of the suggested RWDF project were evaluated both in general and for the first stage of construction. (author)