Radioactive waste obtained from the spent nuclear fuel of the Kozloduy NPP will be buried in the Danube Plain or South-Eastern Bulgaria. The two regions in Bulgaria are suitable for burying radioactive waste, writes the Minister of Energy Rumen Radev in his answer to a parliamentary question by the People’s Representative Jevdet Chakarov. published on the Parliament’s website.
Geological studies have shown that the country has suitable geological formations for the disposal of radioactive waste (RAW), such as granites (in South-Eastern Bulgaria) and marls (in the Danube Plain), the minister’s reply reads.
The reason for looking for a place to bury this waste is that until now it was sent to Russia under a contract for the storage and processing of spent nuclear fuel from the Kozloduy NPP. “Due to the changed geopolitical environment, relations with Russia give rise to uncertainty and risks,” the minister wrote and emphasized that the other reason why the nuclear warheads remain in our country and we cannot send them to Russia is that, starting this year, the Kozloduy NPP is gradually transitioning to non-Russian nuclear fuel: American – by “Westinghouse” and French – by “Framatom”.
That is why the rulers are urgently changing the Strategy for the Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and Radioactive Waste (RAW) and are looking for a place in Bulgaria where and how to do this.
Talks are being held with international companies to explore technological possibilities for processing nuclear fuel from the Kozloduy NPP reactors, the minister’s reply says. But even in this case, the question of the storage of the so-called valuable material – isotopes of plutonium and uranium, which will also be obtained in this case of processing, remains open. This material is vitrified into containers, but again it has to be stored somewhere.
The use of these nuclear materials for civilian purposes is limited, and the costs of storage in another country are high, the minister’s reply said. Next-generation reactors are being developed in Russia, which may use nuclear fuel from currently operating nuclear reactors.
The storage processes must be distinguished from those of incineration of RW and SNF, the minister’s reply says. He points out that Bulgaria has no problem with storage, including in the long term. We have a repository for RW at the Kozloduy NPP site. However, the minister stated that “the studies carried out so far give an advantage to the thesis that the construction of a deep geological repository emerges as the most sustainable national alternative to solve the issue of management by SNF, regardless of whether vitrified highly active waste will be buried or spent nuclear fuel”.
Modern practice is directed towards the construction of burial facilities in deep stable geological formations, with the potential rocks being granites, dense and clayey marls, or in suitable mine workings, the response said. The possible options for burial are in underground facilities with galleries or by the drilling method.
When there is a specific technological solution for burying RW, we will move on to seeking agreement with the local communities, the energy minister wrote in his reply. The option of the voluntary principle seems to be the most effective – based on an assessment of suitable areas, local communities are given the opportunity to accept or reject the presence of a repository on their territory through a referendum, writes Rumen Radev.
The cabinet commissioned experts to draw up proposals on how to choose a site for a repository for deep geological disposal of nuclear waste without provoking strong opposition from the local population. This became clear from February report of the Council for Economic Analysis of the Council of Ministers. The analysis is entitled “Radioactive waste and its acceptance by society”. It offers different options on how to convince the population of the selected municipality to accept such a radioactive waste landfill on their territory. The option with benefits for the population is indicated as the most suitable.
2024-02-25 06:27:54
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