Year
2019
Abstract
The nuclear fuel cycle in the 21st century has been leaning toward the back-end of the fuel cycle. Recognizing that existing material stockpiles are continuing to grow; this study aims to advance the debate on back-end fuel cycle option to enhance the opportunity for the successful disposal of radioactive waste. Deep geological disposal is widely considered to be the best, safest option for long-term isolation and containment of radioactive waste minimizing the need for future maintenance. Nevertheless, deep geological repositories (DGRs) take decades to plan and many more to construct due to the intricate problem involving technical, legal, societal, economic and political aspects. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we recognize that current advancement in borehole drilling technology used intensively and extensively in the oil and gas industry might have potential application to DGRs. The study, therefore, identifies several promising innovative drilling technologies that might be used in constructing and monitoring DGRs and provides safeguards recommendations for radioactive waste management and permanent disposal at DGRs. This paper also includes conclusions from a closed roundtable held in spring 2019, bringing together stakeholders and experts from industry, government, and academia to share their experiences, explore technologies, and discuss best practices in permanent disposal of nuclear waste.