Safe nuclear waste disposal aided by Kiwi technology New Zealand company Aranz Geo is taking on the global challenge of safe final disposal of nuclear waste as a geological and environmental risk management solutions provider. In a landmark project, Finnish spent nuclear fuel disposal company Posiva is using Aranz Geo’s software to contribute to geological understanding, modelling and management of geological risk for the construction of a final disposal facility of spent nuclear fuel. Finland has licensed the construction of a final disposal facility, the first country to do so, on the Finnish island of Olkiluoto. The repository will require 100 years of geological management and construction, upon which it will be sealed, and the long-term safety of the storage will be assessed up to a time period of 1,000,000 years. Shaun Maloney, ceo of Aranz Geo says, “We’re actively involved in understanding and managing some of the biggest environmental challenges facing humanity and the planet. This world first project for deep geological nuclear disposal over almost unfathomable timescales requires total confidence in the geological understanding – which is critical for both effective management and regulation of radioactive waste.” Olkiluoto, Finland – leading the way with a final disposal facility Posiva’s first challenge is to create deep burial disposal caverns for spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants Teollisuuden Voima and Fortum Power and Heat, which co-own Posiva. Each stage of the project will be closely monitored by Finland’s nuclear regulatory authority, STUK. Spent nuclear fuel will be packed in approximately 5m long copper canisters and embedded in crystalline Olkiluoto bedrock, away from faults and fractures and locations of high groundwater flow, at a depth of 400-450 Project with 1,000,000 year timespan has New Zealand connection metres. Eventually around 35 km of bedrock tunnels will contain over 3000 canisters each holding two tonnes of spent fuel. This will ensure radionuclides are not returned to the biosphere and can eventually decay into non-radioactive elements to safeguard the environment and future generations. Posiva has licensed Aranz Geo’s Leapfrog 3D geological modelling software to enable geologists to model geology at the nuclear repository site, for example, fractures and faults which could be possible pathways for waste or contaminant migration or might host displacements in the future. Posiva’s research manager, structural geologist Dr Jussi Mattila, says, “Such a complex project requires us to build geological understanding PHOTOS BY POSIVA OY 46 August 2017 E N V I R O N M E N T
EN-Aug17-eMag4
To see the actual publication please follow the link above