RD&D Priorities in Support of Site Selection in the UK GDF Programme

NWS is characterising and evaluating the suitability of a sub-sea location
in the eastern Irish Sea for hosting the UK’s Geological Disposal Facility
(GDF). Seismic studies indicate the presence of a suitable rock mass in an
environment likely to provide the required containment and isolation of this
substantial radioactive inventory, however significant uncertainties require
RD&D to clarify feasibility and costs in order to inform a site suitability
recommendation. Hypersalinity and high sulfide geochemical environments
require further RD&D to provide understanding of the properties of various
engineered barrier materials. A broader front of RD&D supports potential future
regulatory submissions in support of deep borehole characterisation of the
site and accessways. This includes development of Site Descriptive Model
v1, summarising the geological and biosphere characteristics of the site and
evaluation of the long-term evolution of existing and proposed wasteforms
under these chemical conditions