LONDON — Deep Isolation EMEA Limited has been contracted by the radioactive waste management organizations of Slovenia and Croatia, ARAO and the Fund for financing the decommissioning of the Krško NPP (Fond-NEK) respectively, to deliver a cost study for the potential borehole disposal of spent fuel and high-level radioactive wastes from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant.
This study will examine the costs associated with the disposal of the two countries’ shared inventory of PWR spent fuel assemblies in either generic crystalline basement geologies or shale geologies such as at the Krško power plant. It will include cost comparisons for repository architectures based on both vertical and horizontal boreholes. The results of this eight-month project are due to be delivered to ARAO and Fond-NEK in February 2024.
ARAO’s Head of Planning and Development, Leon Kegel says “We are working in parallel to update our estimates for the option to construct a mined repository for this waste, as well as working with Deep Isolation to quantify the economic benefits of the deep borehole option. These projects will provide us with important cost data to inform our updated waste management strategy for Krško in 2024.”
This project builds on previous work that Deep Isolation has undertaken for Croatia and Slovenia: a preliminary high-level cost review undertaken as part of a wider review of deep borehole disposal across the European countries that are members of the ERDO Association; and a study carried out for ARAO in exploring boreholes as a safe and economic option for the disposal of Slovenia’s TRIGA II research reactor waste.
“We are excited to be working with ARAO and the Fund again on this next project, “ said Chris Parker, Managing Director for Deep Isolation EMEA. “The inventory of waste at Krško is extremely well suited to boreholes and we are keen to help the governments of Croatia and Slovenia to optimize their waste management strategy for Krško.”
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About Deep Isolation
Deep Isolation specializes in deep borehole disposal of nuclear waste. We work with government waste management organizations to design a directionally-drilled borehole disposal solution that meets strict safety standards alongside local community preferences. We tailor our patented solution to the specific waste form, available geology options and local regulatory requirements of each client, with implementation through our partnerships with industry leaders as well as flexible IP licensing options. Projects include advanced reactor and SMR waste disposal, stand-alone borehole disposal of small existing nuclear waste inventories, and working alongside mined repository programs to increase safety and reduce costs by moving certain waste streams into boreholes.
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Deep Isolation EMEA Limited
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www.deepisolation.com
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