An overview on the national strategy to implement a deep geological repository in Romania

Since 1996 in Romania was started operation Candu 700 MW Unit 1 Cernavoda Nuclear Power Station and in 2007 begun operation of the Candu 700 MW Unit 2. The energy produced by nuclear units is accompanied by radioactive waste production. According with European Union requirements in Romania was created National Agency for Radioactive Waste (ANDRAD) in 2003. ANDRAD business is radioactive waste management. ANDRAD, together with the stakeholders, worked the law of great radioactive waste generators contribution for radioactive waste management, which was approved by Governmental Ordinance in September 2007. ANDRAD is responsible manager of this fund. ANDRAD is responsible, also, with the National Strategy for radioactive waste management. Romania's National Strategy for Energy approved in 2007 by Government Ordinance says that a deep geological repository for spent fuel (SF) and High Level Waste (HLW) is to be put in operation around 2055. IAEA supported ANDRAD in a Technical Cooperation Project for a concept of a geological repository of radioactive waste. A strategy to implement o geological repository in Romania was drafted. There are problems with potential rocks and sites to host a geological repository. There are problems for funding this project and also sensitive and serious problems connected with social and political issues. Paper presents this strategy and all the problems arisen by implantation of this strategy. (authors)