2009 Report to Government on National Research and

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seems <strong>to</strong> be a lack of national leadership and strategic direction. CoRWM thinks that this would be best rectified by assigning a single organisation the responsibility for providing this leadership and direction. This organisation should be capable of taking a clear overview of the R&D skills needs of the whole of the nuclear industry, existing and new, civil and defence. CoRWM believes that the Cogent Sec<strong>to</strong>r Skills Council, with additional expertise, could fulfil this role. Recommendation 3 CoRWM recommends <strong>to</strong> <strong>Government</strong> that it assigns <strong>to</strong> a single organisation the responsibility for providing national leadership and strategic direction for provision of R&D skills relevant <strong>to</strong> the long-term management of radioactive wastes. Infrastructure Required for R&D – Facilities for Research with Highly Radioactive Materials 17. CoRWM considers that the UK’s existing civil facilities for research with highly radioactive materials are inadequate and in need of improvement. In addition, new facilities need <strong>to</strong> be established in order <strong>to</strong> support the full spectrum of research relevant <strong>to</strong> the management of higher activity wastes, including geological disposal. 18. Almost all of the existing facilities for research with highly radioactive materials are operated by the National Nuclear Labora<strong>to</strong>ry (NNL). There are plans <strong>to</strong> widen access but at present the only R&D that can be performed in these facilities is that funded by NNL cus<strong>to</strong>mers, primarily the NDA and other nuclear industry organisations. It is essential that funders and providers of fundamental research can access the facilities they need in order <strong>to</strong> contribute <strong>to</strong> R&D for the management of higher activity wastes, both now and in the future. Recommendation 4 CoRWM recommends <strong>to</strong> <strong>Government</strong> that it ensures that facilities for research with highly radioactive materials are improved and their capability enhanced so that they can be used for the full spectrum of research relevant <strong>to</strong> the long-term management of higher activity wastes. These facilities should be accessible <strong>to</strong> all researchers who need them. Infrastructure Required for R&D – Underground Research Facility 19. Underground investigations will be needed at the site of any proposed geological disposal facility (GDF) in the UK. These investigations need <strong>to</strong> include both underground site characterisation work and underground R&D if they are <strong>to</strong> provide sufficient input <strong>to</strong> GDF design and safety case development. CoRWM is of the view that this R&D should be carried out in an underground research facility (URF) at any site where it is proposed <strong>to</strong> construct a GDF. 20. An R&D programme should be carried out in the URF prior <strong>to</strong> the decision as <strong>to</strong> whether or not <strong>to</strong> proceed with GDF construction. This programme should be discussed with a range of stakeholders, including the community local <strong>to</strong> the site and independent scientists, and agreed with regula<strong>to</strong>rs. The geological disposal programme should allow time <strong>to</strong> carry out the required underground R&D and <strong>to</strong> CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 10 of 151
disseminate and assimilate its results. It should be recognised that this underground R&D may take decades. The URF should continue <strong>to</strong> be used for as long as is necessary while the GDF is open. 21. Until a URF is available in the UK, generic R&D should be carried out in underground facilities in other countries. This would allow UK researchers <strong>to</strong> gain the necessary experience, as well as providing information and techniques <strong>to</strong> be used in the UK geological disposal programme. Recommendation 5 CoRWM recommends <strong>to</strong> <strong>Government</strong> that an underground research facility be constructed at any site where it is proposed <strong>to</strong> construct a geological disposal facility. Public and Stakeholder Engagement for R&D 22. At present, as in the past, stakeholders who are outside the organisations that fund and carry out R&D have little opportunity <strong>to</strong> influence UK R&D programmes on radioactive waste management. There is a general lack of transparency in establishing R&D requirements and commercial reasons are often cited as a reason for not publishing results. 23. CoRWM believes that this situation must change. As implied in Recommendation 1, a wider range of stakeholders should be involved in establishing R&D requirements. It is also necessary <strong>to</strong> make accessible information available <strong>to</strong> the public about R&D needs, progress and plans. Recommendation 6 CoRWM recommends <strong>to</strong> <strong>Government</strong> that mechanisms are put in place <strong>to</strong> ensure that a wider range of stakeholders than <strong>to</strong> date will be involved in establishing R&D requirements for the long-term management of higher activity wastes and that accessible information will be made available <strong>to</strong> the public about R&D needs, plans and progress. Specific R&D Issues 24. In addition <strong>to</strong> arrangements for providing R&D and the skills and infrastructure needed for it, CoRWM also considered some of the <strong>to</strong>pics on which further R&D is likely <strong>to</strong> be required for the long-term management of the UK’s higher activity wastes. In doing so, it recognised that future R&D programmes will need <strong>to</strong> build on the substantial body of knowledge that already exists as a result of past R&D in the UK and other countries. This current knowledge base is sufficient <strong>to</strong> be confident that geological disposal is the right way forward. In future R&D it will be necessary <strong>to</strong> focus on knowledge gaps and uncertainties that are important for UK wastes and, in the case of geological disposal, for the types of rocks in which a GDF may be located. The results of CoRWM’s consideration of specific <strong>to</strong>pics are in Section 6 and Appendix A of this report. CoRWM did not attempt <strong>to</strong> identify, consider or prioritise every <strong>to</strong>pic on which R&D may be needed. The material in Section 6 and this appendix is only intended <strong>to</strong> illustrate the range of R&D that could be required over the next few decades. CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 11 of 151
Page 1 and 2: Committee on Radioactive Waste Mana
Page 3 and 4: Finland ...........................
Page 5 and 6: Geosphere Characterisation ........
Page 7 and 8: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. CoRWM’s remi
Page 9: odies would need to</strong
Page 13 and 14: 1.3 CoRWM’s Work Programme for 20
Page 15 and 16: 1.11 The R&D requirements for the l
Page 17 and 18: 2. ESTABLISHING R&D REQUIREMENTS Wh
Page 19 and 20: adioactive waste management facilit
Page 21 and 22: should mitigate the risks of findin
Page 23 and 24: there is no unwarranted repetition
Page 25 and 26: safety case development, the overal
Page 27 and 28: Table 1. Approximate annual levels
Page 29 and 30: Figure 1. Structure of UK R&D provi
Page 31 and 32: NDA R&D for Geological Disposal 3.1
Page 33 and 34: 3.27 The purpose of NNL can be summ
Page 35 and 36: identified the research required an
Page 37 and 38: submitted to RCEP
Page 39 and 40: Box 1. Research Council Funded Univ
Page 41 and 42: 3.62 BGS is conducting three projec
Page 43 and 44: 3.70 In the current FP7 programme (
Page 45 and 46: 3.77 RCEP noted that there was a la
Page 47 and 48: sectors: land disp
Page 49 and 50: eyond those that RWMD intends <stro
Page 51 and 52: Box 2. USDOE 2006 Workshop R&D Issu
Page 53 and 54: 3.111 Fundamental and applied resea
Page 55 and 56: France 3.122 There are six major gr
Page 57 and 58: and in concert with Forpro is desig
Page 59 and 60: • encourage the transfer and pres
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comparison to othe
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4. R&D SKILLS TO SUPPORT THE MRWS P
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Figure 3. UK Nuclear Skills Map Sou
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ensure the availability of a skille
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which is longer than the competitio
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Box 4. Postgraduate University Prov
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4.30 The NDA also operates a gradua
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for NDA to acquire
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Retention of Skills 4.48 It has bee
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5. INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED FOR R&D
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purchase of equipment. In addition,
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5.23 The Pacific Northwest National
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5.35 The range of possible function
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5.40 Early in 2009
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6. SOME R&D ISSUES 6.1 R&D carried
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interactions, the impact of highly
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7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
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7.11 CoRWM has found that responsib
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and Appendix A is only intended <st
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Current and Planned R&D for ILW A.5
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wasteform integrity at end of s<str
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Magnox Fuel A.20 Magnox fuel consis
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capability exists in the UK for doi
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purpose-built building. The former
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pending a decision on its long-term
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through all these. The nature of th
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Box 7. Radionuclide Speciation Many
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could mix with the bulk hydrogen ga
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than that for uranium-235. Likewise
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near-field of the part containing t
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• Long-term stability and perform
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few millimetres to
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environment, all with the character
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Number Title 2500 Interim S
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EPSRC, 2009. Grant
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Nuclear Decommissioning Authority,
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Skomurski FN, Ewing RC, Rohl AL, Ga
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Co-location Disposal of “high lev
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Geosphere Solid portion of the eart
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Packaging Placing waste int
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Stillage A metal frame used <strong
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BNGSL British Nuclear Group Sellafi
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FP Framework Programme (of the Euro
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MOX mixed oxide fuel (contains uran
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RS Royal Society RSC Royal Society
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Leadership in the
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2009 Report to Government on National Research and

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