NOTABLE EVENTS 2023 Cigéo A review involving all the stakeholders ollowing several decades of research and development, the National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) submitted a creation authorisation application file in January 2023 for a deep geological waste disposal facility. This facility, called “Cigéo” is intended for the disposal of high-level waste (HLW) and intermediate-level, long-lived waste (ILW-LL). Before this major step, Andra had submitted a Safety Options Dossier (DOS) for this facility in April 2016, which signalled the start of a process governed by regulatory requirements. Following review of this dossier, ASN considered that the project as a whole had reached a satisfactory level of technical maturity and that it represented a significant step forward in relation to the previous dossiers on which ASN had issued an opinion. ASN also made recommendations regarding the safety options, such as to prevent or mitigate the risks in the envisaged facility, and asked Andra for additional studies and justifications on subjects such as corrosion phenomena, low pH concretes, the representative nature of the hydrogeological model or the monitoring strategy. Review of the Cigéo DOS also highlighted several important subjects such as the choice of the repository architecture, the definition of contingencies and post-accident management. The facility’s creation authorisation application file submitted in January 2023 was produced taking account of the requests and recommendations made by ASN. ASN was tasked by the Ministry for Energy Transition with conducting the technical review of this creation authorisation application and, after considering the file to be acceptable, began its examination in 2023. In so doing, it called on the expertise of F Underground laboratory Package reception, inspection and preparation zone Shafts zone Works support zone HLW Repository zone Double ramps ILW-LL repository zone – 420 m – 550 m – 700 m The Bure (Meuse département) underground laboratory, situated at a depth of 490 metres, is a unique research tool for the Cigéo project. Its underground drifts allow in-situ study of a layer of clay 160 million years old, along with various concepts and techniques that could be used to construct the Cigéo facility. 18 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 In order to address society’s strong desire to take part in the radioactive waste deep geological disposal facility project, and consistently with the measures stipulated in this respect by the 5th National Radioactive Materials and Waste Management Plan (PNGMDR), ASN is implementing an unprecedented system of consultation and discussion around the technical review process.
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