Disposability Assessment

Disposal Concept Design and Optimisation

GSL has excellent knowledge of disposal concepts for intermediate-level waste (ILW), high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SF).

To support the development of a Geologic Disposal Facility concept under the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely process in the UK, GSL has completed a project that provided an evaluation of ILW disposal concepts on an international basis, and a review of the development of the UK Phased Geological Repository Concept.  GSL staff supported a similar project in relation to HLW and SF.  In addition, GSL staff have been involved with the development of disposal concepts for several national programmes (e.g. development of the Supercontainer design in Belgium).

New Reactor Build Assessment

GSL has experience in Disposability Assessment for new build reactor designs in the UK, including:

• Reviewing submissions when received from requesting parties, reviewing the information and initiating the Disposability Assessment.
• Preparing Project Summaries for Project Review Meetings, making presentations to meetings and answering questions and justifying conclusions from the assessments to the project board.
• Drafting of Disposability Reports and Assessment Reports.  Following the completion of the Disposability Assessment, Disposability Reports and Assessment Reports were prepared.  Disposability Reports were concise 20-30 page summaries of the assessment.  The Disposability Reports were published, and were available to the public.  Assessment Reports are larger more comprehensive records of the assessment.

UK Waste Package Disposability Assessment

GSL provides criticality safety support as part of the disposability assessment (Letter of Compliance) process for waste packages intended for geological disposal in the UK.  This support involves reviewing packaging submissions from waste producers against specific disposability requirements, and, if required, reviewing or developing package-specific criticality assessments.