Euratom FP6 Research Projects and Training Activities Volume III

Methodology for long-term disposal
This project will yield a common European procedure for
auditing the capabilities of mathematical codes for the
evaluation and demonstration of the long-term safety of
nuclear waste repositories. This exercise represents, for the first
time, a coherent and logical pan-European effort, based on
sound scientific principles, to assess and audit the ability of
computer codes to properly simulate these complex and
multiply coupled processes that are of crucial relevance
to the successful underground disposal of high-level
radioactive waste.
Ensuring safety underground
The outcome of this project will be a set of computer codes
that have been verified as being capable of providing accurate
predictions of the performance of underground radioactive
waste repositories. This will aid in the design of repositories
that will be capable of isolating harmful radioactive wastes
from the biosphere.
Such repositories represent a potential solution for the longterm
disposal of high-level radioactive waste. They have been
developed and their components tested over many years of
research. They represent the best technical solution that is
currently available for waste disposal. Disposal of radioactive
waste is a significant issue for society no matter what the
future for nuclear power – and it is an issue that society needs
to tackle in a responsible and unified manner in the present
era rather than hand it on to be solved by future generations.
MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Geological disposal
© SKB (SE)
SKB’s underground research laboratory at Äspö, Sweden. Prototype
Repository Experiment is located at the centre of the right edge of the picture
Coordinator
Robert Zimmerman
Division of Engineering Geology
Royal Institute of Technology
S-100 44 Stockholm
Tel. (46-8) 79 07 906
Fax (46-8)79 06 810
robertzi@kth.se
www.theresaproject.org
Project details
Project type: Specific Targeted Research Project
Project start date: 01/01/2007
Duration: 36 months
Total budget: EUR 1 980 000
EC contribution: EUR 1 200 000
EC Project Officer: Christophe Davies
European Commission
Directorate-General for Research
Unit J. 2 – Fission
CDMA 1/61
B-1049 Brussels
Tel. (32-2) 296 16 70
Fax (32-2) 295 49 91
I N F O R M A T I O N
Partners
Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SE
Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SE
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, DE
Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit mbH, DE
Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NL
DBE Technology GmbH, DE
Institut für Gebirgsmechanik GmbH, DE
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DE
Technische Universität Clausthal, DE
Centre International de Métodes Numèrics en Enginyeria, ES
Cardiff University, UK
Posiva Oy, FI
Marintel Ky, FI
Quintessa Limited, UK
Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, FR
35