Construction of underground facility could begin in 2030s with operation in 2040-2045
Canada has chosen a site in northern Ontario for a planned deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel following a 14-year selection process, the country’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) said on 28 November.
The decision means the project will advance to the regulatory process. If approved, construction would start in the 2030s, providing Canada’s 19 nuclear power plants at four sites and any future nuclear reactors with a place to store used fuel in perpetuity.
Operation of the repository, which will use a series of engineered and natural barriers that work together to contain and isolate used nuclear fuel, is expected to begin in 2040-2045.
The NWMO said the site will be the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area. The host communities will be Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and the Township of Ignace. The NWMO said the people of both host communities have demonstrated their willingness to move forward in this process.
Earlier this month, WLON confirmed its willingness, following a decision-making process that was open to all its members. The Township of Ignace completed a decision-making process with its residents in July, which also confirmed willingness.
The NWMO had to consider the stability of underground rock formations, proximity to natural resources and what the surrounding area may look like millennia into the future, said Laurie Swami, chief executive officer of NWMO, a non-profit organisation set up under Canada's Nuclear Fuel Waste Act.
The NWMO said there is international scientific consensus that a deep geological repository is the safest way to manage used nuclear fuel over the long term, and Canada is among the leading countries on this solution.
It said the announcement was an important milestone in delivering on its promise to not leave Canada’s used fuel as a burden for future generations to manage.
The only deep geological repository close to operation is in Finland, where the first stage of a trial run was recently completed. Other nuclear nations including France, the UK and Sweden are also advancing plans for their own long-term storage sites.
Background: How The Repository Will Work
Most used nuclear fuel in Canada comes from Candu reactors and is a stable solid, sealed into a specially designed container and bound into a bundle.
Each bundle weighs about 24 kg and is roughly the size of a fireplace log. It takes hundreds of thousands of years for the radioactivity of the used nuclear fuel to return to the level of natural uranium, which is why Canada needs a safe, long-term approach for storage.
The repository would be built around 650-800 metres underground, well below any ground water, surrounded by crystalline rock and granite and far from any valuable natural resource deposits that future generations may one day want to extract.
The plan calls for used nuclear fuel to be stored in a network of tunnels and placement rooms.
A series of engineered and natural barriers will work together to safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel within the repository. Each barrier will provide a unique and stand-alone level of protection, while also serving as a backstop for the previous barrier. If any of these barriers were to fail, another would be there to ensure any dangerous materials remained contained and isolated.
