2009 Report to Government on National Research and

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3.135 RWMC and its working parties provide the overall forum for exchange of information, which is achieved through meetings and the production of reports. Detailed technical work is carried out by means of working groups, <strong>to</strong>pical sessions, workshops, symposia and technical reviews. NEA also organises international peer reviews of national studies and projects. For example, it organised a peer review of the Dossier Argile 2005 (para. 3.131) by a team of independent specialists from various countries. The review covered research and safety assessment. Two of the aims of the review were <strong>to</strong> determine whether the future research needs identified in the Dossier were consistent with the existing knowledge base and whether the stated research priorities were appropriate. 3.136 RWMC is currently carrying out a project on reversibility and retrievability in geological disposal. Current IGSC activities include: • a working group on the characterisation, understanding and performance of argillaceous rocks for geological disposal (the “Clay Club”) • a project on approaches and methods for integrating geological information in GDF safety cases • a project on sorption of radionuclides on geological media • a project on engineered barrier systems • maintaining a database of features, events and processes (FEPs) that need <strong>to</strong> be considered in GDF post-closure safety cases • a thermodynamic database project. 3.137 IAEA’s work on radioactive waste management is carried out by its Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. It includes establishing safety standards, producing guidance on the application of safety standards and sending teams of experts <strong>to</strong> developing countries <strong>to</strong> assist them in policy, regula<strong>to</strong>ry and practical aspects of waste management. 3.138 IAEA also organises Co-ordinated Research Projects (CRPs) that are designed <strong>to</strong> encourage the acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge. 18 CRPs involve developed countries, which pay for their own research and participation, and developing countries, which are funded by IAEA. The results of CRPs are published by IAEA. A CRP on the use of numerical models in support of site characterisation and performance assessment studies for GDFs has been running since 2005 and is due <strong>to</strong> end in 2010. 3.139 In addition, IAEA runs knowledge transfer networks. There is a “Network of Centres of Excellence” in training and demonstration of radioactive waste underground research facilities, the “URF Network”. 19 This has been running since 2001. Its “members” are countries that have URFs and associated labora<strong>to</strong>ries that they offer for training, demonstration and research activities by “participants”, that is countries that do not have such facilities. The URF Network has 9 members and 21 participants. The UK is a member and the Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff University, is its centre of excellence. The objectives of the URF Network are <strong>to</strong>: 18 http://www-crp.iaea.org/ 19 http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/wts_URF_homepage.html CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 58 of 151
• encourage the transfer and preservation of knowledge and technologies • work on solutions for countries that at present do not have URFs • supplement national efforts and promote public confidence in radioactive waste disposal schemes • contribute <strong>to</strong> the resolution of key technical issues. Conclusions on UK R&D Programme 3.140 Many organisations in the UK are involved in funding and carrying out R&D relevant <strong>to</strong> the management of higher activity wastes. These include NDA and its SLCs, other nuclear industry organisations (civil and defence), the NNL, the regula<strong>to</strong>rs, the Research Councils, universities, and consultants and contrac<strong>to</strong>rs. CoRWM’s conclusions on UK R&D programmes relate mainly <strong>to</strong> co-ordination within and between these organisations. NDA and Other Nuclear Industry Organisations 3.141 NDA has made a good start in some respects. The TBuRD system is designed <strong>to</strong> ensure SLCs identify R&D requirements and the NWRF aims <strong>to</strong> ensure R&D needs are discussed between SLCs, British Energy and regula<strong>to</strong>rs at a technical level. RWMD has developed its R&D Strategy for geological disposal and will produce a more detailed document setting out its forward programme of R&D. CoRWM understands that RWMD is in the process of setting up an advisory panel <strong>to</strong> assist it in developing its programme. NDA also funds R&D relevant <strong>to</strong> its mission directly, for example, through its DRP. 3.142 However, there seems <strong>to</strong> be little strategic co-ordination of SLC, RWMD and DRP R&D within NDA. In particular, it is not clear how RWMD R&D on geological disposal will be co-ordinated with the R&D by NDA and its SLCs on waste conditioning, packaging and s<strong>to</strong>rage, or on the management of spent fuels, plu<strong>to</strong>nium and uranium. NDA seems <strong>to</strong> see R&D only as an adjunct <strong>to</strong> its strategy work, not something <strong>to</strong> which it should also have a strategic approach. 3.143 Various groups set up by NDA, for example the NWRF, involve other nuclear industry organisations and the regula<strong>to</strong>rs. As far as CoRWM has been able <strong>to</strong> determine, these groups are useful for identifying gaps and overlaps in R&D. However, they are not set up <strong>to</strong> provide strategic co-ordination of R&D nor <strong>to</strong> agree nuclear industry R&D priorities at a national level. As a result, they cannot ensure that key issues are addressed in a timely way or that the best use is made of resources. Regula<strong>to</strong>rs 3.144 HSE has a responsibility <strong>to</strong> ensure that appropriate nuclear safety research programmes are carried out and that the results are disseminated. This includes nuclear safety research related <strong>to</strong> the management of higher activity wastes. HSE publishes a Nuclear Safety Research Strategy that covers both research that it will commission and research that it expects nuclear site licensees <strong>to</strong> undertake. The mechanism for deriving national nuclear safety research requirements is well-established and has input from an independent expert group. HSE can recover the costs of its own research from licensees. CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 59 of 151
Page 1 and 2:
Committee on Radioactive Waste Mana
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Finland ...........................
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Geosphere Characterisation ........
Page 7 and 8: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. CoRWM’s remi
Page 9 and 10: odies would need to</strong
Page 11 and 12: disseminate and assimilate its resu
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 in concert with Forpro is desig
Page 61 and 62: comparison to othe
Page 63 and 64: 4. R&D SKILLS TO SUPPORT THE MRWS P
Page 65 and 66: Figure 3. UK Nuclear Skills Map Sou
Page 67 and 68: ensure the availability of a skille
Page 69 and 70: which is longer than the competitio
Page 71 and 72: Box 4. Postgraduate University Prov
Page 73 and 74: 4.30 The NDA also operates a gradua
Page 75 and 76: for NDA to acquire
Page 77 and 78: Retention of Skills 4.48 It has bee
Page 79 and 80: 5. INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED FOR R&D
Page 81 and 82: purchase of equipment. In addition,
Page 83 and 84: 5.23 The Pacific Northwest National
Page 85 and 86: 5.35 The range of possible function
Page 87 and 88: 5.40 Early in 2009
Page 89 and 90: 6. SOME R&D ISSUES 6.1 R&D carried
Page 91 and 92: interactions, the impact of highly
Page 93 and 94: 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Page 95 and 96: 7.11 CoRWM has found that responsib
Page 97 and 98: and Appendix A is only intended <st
Page 99 and 100: Current and Planned R&D for ILW A.5
Page 101 and 102: wasteform integrity at end of s<str
Page 103 and 104: Magnox Fuel A.20 Magnox fuel consis
Page 105 and 106: capability exists in the UK for doi
Page 107 and 108: 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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