Architecture and management of a geological repository - Andra

3 – High Level Long-Lived WasteFigure 3.2.16PIVER containersThese are low-capacity packages (39 or 45 litres depending on the type of container) containing glassweighing between 20 and 120 kilograms. An average weight of 72 kilograms of vitrified waste perpackage has been adopted for the study, with a total average weight of 90 kilograms for a full package(vitrified waste + container).The radiological activity of the packages has decreased considerably given their date of production. Itcontinues to be dominated by two medium-life fission products - strontium-90 ( 90 Sr) and cesium-137( 137 Cs). These generate residual thermal release, currently on the order of about thirty watts perpackage. The equivalent β-γ dose rate in pseudo-contact (5 cm) with the package is around 70 Sv/h,becoming around 45 Sv/h by 2025.The UMo glass waste packages correspond to future conditioning of solutions of existing fissionproducts; these are produced by NUGG fuels recovered in the COGEMA UP2-400 plant at La Hague.The chemical nature of the solutions requires a specific glass to be formulated and modifications toprocess equipment, particularly the vitrification furnace. Following the hypotheses adopted, theaverage weight of the conditioned waste is 400 kilograms per package. Strontium-90 and cesium-137also play an important role here in the radiological activity of the packages, although this hasdecreased tremendously given the age of the solutions. Subsequently, the residual thermal release iscurrently around 70 watts per package. The equivalent β-γ dose rate in pseudo-contact (5 cm) with thepackage is around 15 Sv/h, becoming around 10 Sv/h by 2025.This waste will be conditioned in a stainless steel container identical to the one used today in theCOGEMA R7 and T7 vitrification shops at La Hague.Figure 3.2.17 illustrates this container, called theStandard Vitrified Waste Container (CSD-V).DOSSIER 2005 ARGILE -ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF A GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL SYSTEM92/495