Tome Architecture and management of a geological repository - Andra

4 - General architecture of the repository in a granite medium4.3.2 Nuclear operationNuclear operation is characterised by the sequence of operations from receiving primary wastepackages and preparing disposal packages in surface installations, followed by package transfer anduntil emplacement in the disposal cells.4.3.2.1 Primary package reception and disposal package conditioningThe primary waste package reception and disposal package conditioning activities are carried out inthe surface installations.Similar installations are operating in some existing nuclear installations such as the COGEMAreprocessing centre at La Hague and the Dutch COVRA storage facility. Thus the principles ofoperation and their associated means presented hereafter result largely from the transposition ofindustrial feedback.The primary waste packages may be shipped by road or rail convoy from the production sites to therepository site in transport casks. Once on site, they are stored in a dedicated area of the surfaceinstallations, according to nuclear practices.After storage, the packages are transferred to a so-called "conditioning building", comprising asuccession of shielded cells for remote-controlled operations.The packages are docked to an unloading cell and the primary packages are extracted by a travellingcrane equipped with a specific grip for each package type. The primary packages are then transferredto a zone dedicated to their storage.Disposal packages are prepared in a second phase. The primary packages are placed in disposalcontainers (concrete for B waste, steel for C waste and copper containers for spent fuel). Thecontainers are closed using cementitious grout for B waste packages, and by welding for C waste andspent fuel. Then disposal packages are controlled then stored in a dedicated zone of the building.Figure 4.3.1 illustrates the above process with C waste example.Dossier 2005 Granite - ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF A GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY80/228