Deep Geological Disposal Facility for Radioactive Waste to be Built in France
The French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) will receive a license to construct the Cigéo deep geological repository designed for the disposal of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. This was reported by the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ASNR).
In January 2023, Andra submitted a license application to build a deep geological repository to the French Ministry of Ecological Transition. In March 2023, this Ministry requested the ASNR to conduct a technical review of the application and to ensure the project fulfills all necessary safety requirements.
The review was implemented in three stages according to three thematic groups: the basic data used for the Cigéo safety assessment, the operational safety of surface and underground facilities and the post-closure safety. The standing Advisory Committee on Waste was also involved in the process and provided three conclusions.
The Cigéo repository will be funded by waste producers such as EDF, Framatome and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, and it will be managed by Andra.
Construction of the repository is expected to start in late 2027 or early 2028, with the first loading of waste packages scheduled for 2050.
Image: The French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection