This document discusses France's strategy for managing low-level nuclear waste. It begins by outlining France's general framework for radioactive waste management, which defines roles and responsibilities, ensures transparency, and prioritizes safety. The strategy focuses on containing and isolating waste according to its activity level and half-life, with surface disposal for short-lived waste and geological disposal for long-lived waste. Available solutions for low- and intermediate-level waste include the Centre de Stockage de l'Aube, which has disposed of over 230,000 cubic meters of waste packages since 1992, and the Centre de Stockage pour les Très Faibles Activités, which began operating in 2003 to dispose of very low-level waste

1. Low Level Nuclear Waste Management in FranceStrategy and industrializationNicolas Solente International Division, ANDRA, Francenicolas.solente@andra.fr

2. ContentsThe general approach to waste managementKeys for a successful management strategyAvailable solutions for low- and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste

3. The general approach to waste management

4. General FrameworkGeneration of radioactive wasteMultiple origins, wasteforms and packaging

5. Disposal options require flexibilityExample of the French situation, end of 2007

6. Main waste streams: operationsWaste from day-to-day operations

7. Wastestreams: dismantlingWaste from decommissioning and dismantling

8. The main pillars of the approachRadioactive waste management concerns all citizens Waste management is a national issue (France: Waste Act 19891, Planning Act 2006, TSN Act 2006)The national framework defines clearly who does what ? The whole scope of radwaste management must be addressed

9. liabilities, funding;

10. guarantees of transparency & information (eg for public awareness);

11. the local level involvement;Knowledge of the waste inventory and its forecast; Safety is the priority.No “wait & see” policy

12. Keys for the management strategy

13. Strategy for disposal300 years for surface disposalSome 105 years for geological disposalLimit transfer and/or amount of long lived activityContain and Isolatedifferentwaste types, same objectiveActivityTime

14. Priorities & agendasShort-lived wastePeriod ≤ 31 yearsLong-lived wastePeriod > 31 yearsVery low levelWaste from dismantling operations (CSTFA in France since 2003)Centre de Morvilliers(waste from dismantling operations)Graphite, radium-bearing waste(Studies stage in France)Waste mainly from day-to-day operation of NPPs(CSFMA in France since 1992) Low levelWaste from SF reprocessing plants (Geological disposal facility in France to be commissioned in 2025)Intermediate levelHigh levelHL vitrified waste : after reprocessing & cooling,

15. Basis for a NPP waste management strategy To be disposed of as from reactor commissioning Operation & maintenance (LIL waste)To be disposed of beyond some 40 yearsTo be disposed of after some 60 yearsSF reprocessing(HL waste)CIGEO (geological repository in Meuse/Haute-Marne districts)CSTFA & CSFMA (Aube district)CSFMA (Aube district)Dismantling: 12000 m3LIL waste disposal as from reactor commissioning timeTo prevent future problems as recovering of degraded packages100m3/year and by reactor = 25000 m3 in 50 years for 5 reactorsOpportunity to implement simultaneously a solution for radioactive waste produced by non-electronuclear activities: Small-scale nuclear activities (R&D, hospitals, universities, industry, control & testing, etc);

16. Water treatment and mining tailsAvailable solutions for low- and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste

17. Centre de stockage FMA de l’AubeLow and intermediate level short lived wasteArea : 95 ha (total)30 ha (disposal)Capacity : 1,000,000 m3 waste packagesCommissioning: 1992Disposed volume : 231,000 m3 (end of 2009)

18. Design of "centre de l'aube" disposalfacilityA turn out in the way to operatedisposalfacilitiesThe design of the centre de l’Aube has been improved by the experiencegainedduring 40 years of waste management and operations on 3 differentdisposal sitesFrom prototype to industrial process

19. Adjusting operational tools to waste generators needs

20. Long-term issues as a daily concern

21. Building the experience of the closure of a facility

22. Obtaining and maintaining confidence of the public

23. Feed back for existing and planned facilities And international cooperationCentre de l’Aube oftenused as a model for new projectsWaste packages flexibility All types of waste containers accomodated. No overpackrequiredConcretedrumConcrete container BlockedwastedrumMetallicdrumwith/Without compactionMetallic containerWith/without injectionIngotfrommelting

24. Large components disposalLarges components are disposed in dedicatedvaults:Vesselheads …

25. Other items under investigation: neutron shieldingelements, PWR vessels, transportation containers

26. Disposal design

27. Waste management optimizationThe design of the centre de l’Aube has improved its flexibility considering the adjustment of the operational tools to waste generators needs.The main task is to optimize the capacity of the existing disposal to take into account the dismantling forecasted in the next fifty yearsAn increasing involvement in the decisions taken upstream on waste management is followed by Andra according the PNGMDR:Management routes for big components and specific wastes,

28. Open new disposal routes (asbestos, reactive organic or aqueous liquids, contaminated mercury,…)

29. Re-use & recycle (metallic boxes for wastes and rebar for disposal vault construction)A mature disposal systemA flexible designDisposal of different package types / uncontainerized waste

30. Modularity of concept: adapts to variations in inventories/deliveriesA robust yet adaptable conceptlarge experience available

31. Concept duplicated in countrieswith different conditions (waste, quantities, geology, regulations)A continuousimprovementprocessAdapts to waste producers needs

32. Driven by long term safety

33. Maintains cost efficiencySpainEl CabrilLithuania

34. Available solutions for very low short-lived radioactive waste

35. Theneed for a VLLW disposalfacility A significant decommissioning programNuclear research facilities : by 2010 30 dismantling worksites and 15 sites completely decommissioned

36. Power plants: under 25 years deconstruction of 9 power reactors

37. Eurodif enrichment plant decommissioning

38. Early reprocessing plants decommissioning A new regulation being prescribed for nuclear wastesA waste zoning to be implemented in nuclear facilities

39. Nuclear wastes / conventional wastes

40. No clearance level for nuclear wastes About 650,000 m3 with a very low specific activity (range = a few Bq/g) or just potentially radioactive to be disposed of till 2030 A need for a safe and cost effective disposal solution

41. General presentation and design 1/3Commissioned : August 2003Footprint : 45 ha including 28.5 ha for thedisposal zone Disposal capacity : 650,000 m326 % of disposal capacity at the end of 2010 Operating lifetime : around 30 years Initial investment : €40 million

42. General presentation and design 2/3

43. General presentation and design 3/32- Construction3- Operation1 - Preparation4- Implementationof the capping system

44. VLLW storage: fit-for-purpose A fit for purpose solution:safe disposal solution well fitted to the radiological hazards

45. procedures that remain consistent with LIL wastes repositoriesBuilt-in flexibilityTypes of waste forms

46. Packaging of wastes

47. Cells sizes modified to increase disposal volumeA cost effective disposal optionA significant increase of deliveries risk threatens of an anticipated saturation of the facilityConclusions: LessonslearntNo deferredsolutionsLLW management solutions requiredwith the first produced kWhSafetyis the primaryissuefit-for-purpose solutionsConcept must have built-in flexibilitiesBuilt for decades, a repository must adapt to wasteproducers’ needThe Centre de l’Aube design is a widelyused modelConcept backed by 40 years of operations, including the closure of the Centre de la Manche

48. Succesfullytransposed to other countries, withdifferent local context