The Beishan underground research laboratory for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in China:Planning, site selection,site characterization and in situ tests

With the rapid development of nuclear power in China, the disposal of high-level radioactive waste（HLW） has become an important issue for nuclear safety and environmental protection. Deep geological disposal is internationally accepted as a feasible and safe way to dispose of HLW, and underground research laboratories（URLs） play an important and multi-faceted role in the development of HLW repositories. This paper introduces the overall planning and the latest progress for China＇s URL. On the basis of the proposed strategy to build an area-specific URL in combination with a comprehensive evaluation of the site selection results obtained during the last 33 years, the Xinchang site in the Beishan area,located in Gansu Province of northwestern China, has been selected as the final site for China＇s first URL built in granite. In the process of characterizing the Xinchang URL site, a series of investigations,including borehole drilling,geological mapping, geophysical surveying,hydraulic testing and in situ stress measurements, has been conducted. The investigation results indicate that the geological,hydrogeological, engineering geological and geochemical conditions of the Xinchang site are very suitable for URL construction. Meanwhile, to validate and develop construction technologies for the Beishan URL, the Beishan exploration tunnel（BET）, which is a 50-m-deep facility in the Jiujing sub-area, has been constructed and several in situ tests, such as drill-and-blast tests, characterization of the excavation damaged zone（EDZ）, and long-term deformation monitoring of surrounding rocks, have been performed in the BET. The methodologies and technologies established in the BET will serve for URL construction.According to the achievements of the characterization of the URL site, a preliminary design of the URL with a maximum depth of 560 m is proposed and necessary in situ tests in the URL are planned.

Implications of safety requirements for the treatment of THMC processes in geological disposal systems for radioactive waste

The mission of nuclear safety authorities in national radioactive waste disposal programmes is to ensure that people and the environment are protected against the hazards of ionising radiations emitted by the waste.It implies the establishment of safety requirements and the oversight of the activities of the waste management organisation in charge of implementing the programme.In Belgium,the safety requirements for geological disposal rest on the following principles:defence-in-depth,demonstrability and the radiation protection principles elaborated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection(ICRP).Applying these principles requires notably an appropriate identification and characterisation of the processes upon which the safety functions fulfilled by the disposal system rely and of the processes that may affect the system performance.Therefore,research and development(R&D)on safety-relevant thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical(THMC)issues is important to build confidence in the safety assessment.This paper points out the key THMC processes that might influence radionuclide transport in a disposal system and its surrounding environment,considering the dynamic nature of these processes.Their nature and significance are expected to change according to prevailing internal and external conditions,which evolve from the repository construction phase to the whole heatingecooling cycle of decaying waste after closure.As these processes have a potential impact on safety,it is essential to identify and to understand them properly when developing a disposal concept to ensure compliance with relevant safety requirements.In particular,the investigation of THMC processes is needed to manage uncertainties.This includes the identification and characterisation of uncertainties as well as for the understanding of their safety-relevance.R&D may also be necessary to reduce uncertainties of which the magnitude does not allow demonstrating the safety of the disposal system.

Active source seismic imaging on near-surface granite body:case study of siting a geological disposal repository for high-level radioactive nuclear waste

In order to research whether it is suitable to set a geological disposal repository for high-level radioactive nuclear waste into one target granite body,two active source seismic profles were arranged near a small town named Tamusu,Western China.The study area is with complex surface conditions,thus the seismic exploration encountered a variettraveltimey of technical difculties such as crossing obstacles,de-noising harmful scattered waves,and building complex near-surface velocity models.In order to address those problems,techniques including cross-obstacle seismic geometry design,angle-domain harmful scattered noise removal,and an acoustic wave equation-based inversion method jointly utilizing both the and waveform of frst arrival waves were adopted.The fnal seismic images clearly exhibit the target rock’s unconformable contact boundary and its top interface beneath the sedimentary and weathered layers.On this basis,it could be confrmed that the target rock is not thin or has been transported by geological process from somewhere else,but a native and massive rock.There are a few small size fractures whose space distribution could be revealed by seismic images within the rock.The fractures should be kept away.Based on current research,it could be considered that active source seismic exploration is demanded during the sitting process of the geological disposal repository for nuclear waste.The seismic acquisition and processing techniques proposed in the present paper would ofer a good reference value for similar researches in the future.

On area-specific underground research laboratory for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in China

Underground research laboratories （URLs）, including ＂generic URLs＂ and ＂site-specific URLs＂, are un- derground facilities in which characterisation, testing, technology development, and/or demonstration activities are carried out in support of the development of geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste （HLW） disposal. In addition to the generic URL and site-specific URL, a concept of ＂areaspecific URL＂, or the third type of URL, is proposed in this paper. It is referred to as the facility that is built at a site within an area that is considered as a potential area for HLW repository or built at a place near the future repository site, and may be regarded as a precursor to the development of a repository at the site. It acts as a ＂generic URL＂, but also acts as a ＂site-specific URL＂ to some extent. Considering the current situation in China, the most suitable option is to build an ＂area-specific URL＂ in Beishan area, the first priority region for China＇s high-level waste repository. With this strategy, the goal to build China＇s URL by 2020 mav be achieved, but the time left is limited.

Creep constitutive model considering nonlinear creep degradation of fractured rock

Stability analysis of underground constructions requires a model study of rock masses’ long-term performance. Creep tests under different stress conditions was conducted on intact granite and granite samples fractured at 30° and 45° angles. The experimental results indicate that the steady creep strain rates of intact and fractured rock present an exponential increase trend with the increase of stress level. A nonlinear creep model is developed based on the experimental results, in which the initial damage caused by fracture together with the damage caused by constant load have been taken into consideration. The fitting analysis results indicated that the model proposed is more accurate at identifying the full creep regions in fractured granite, especially the accelerated stage of creep deformation. The least-square fit error of the proposed creep model is significantly lower than that of Nishihara model by almost an order of magnitude. An analysis of the effects of elastic modulus, viscosity coefficient, and damage factors on fractured rock strain rate and creep strain is conducted. If no consideration is given to the effects of the damage, the proposed nonlinear creep model can degenerate into to the classical Nishihara model.

High-level radioactive waste disposal in China: update 2010

For geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste （HLW）, the Chinese policy is that the spent nuclear fuel （SNF） should be reprocessed first, followed by vitrification and final disposal. The preliminary repository concept is a shaft-tunnel model, located in saturated zones in granite, while the final waste form for disposal is vitrified high-level radioactive waste. In 2006, the government published a long-term research and development （R＆D） plan for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The program consists of three steps： （1） laboratory studies and site selection for a HLW repository （2006-2020）; （2） underground in-situ tests （2021-2040）; and （3） repository construction （2041-2050） followed by operation. With the support of China Atomic Energy Authority, comprehensive studies are underway and some progresses are made. The site characterization, including deep borehole drilling, has been performed at the most potential Beishan site in Gansu Province, Northwestern China. The data from geological and hydrogeological investigations, in-situ stress and permeability measurements of rock mass are presented in this paper. Engineered barrier studies are concentrated on the Gaomiaozi bentonite. A mock-up facility, which is used to study the thermo-hydro-mechano-chemical （THMC） properties of the bentonite, is under construction. Several projects on mechanical properties of Beishan granite are also underway. The key scientific challenges faced with HLW disposal are also discussed.

Evaluation of Uncertainties Related to the Near Field Model of Geological Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel

In Slovakia, a direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geological repository within the country after a certain period of interim storage is a preferred option. This paper briefly describes near field model of radionuclide migration developed in GoldSim simulation code environment and analyses the calculated results on time-dependent release rates of safety relevant radionuclides. Given the fact that GoldSimalso enables to perform probabilistic simulations using the Monte Carlo method, a probabilistic approach was chosen to assess the influence of selected near field parameter uncertainties related to radionuclide migration on the radionuclide release rates from the bentonite buffer to the surrounding host rock. Based on the results, release rates of nuclides which exceed their solubility limits are effectively lowered and many of nuclides are significantly sorbed on the buffer material. It can be seen that the variance of the total release rate in the case of solubility uncertainty is almost two orders of magnitude within a long period of time.

Progress on rock mechanics research of Beishan granite for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in China

The mechanical behavior of host rock for a deep geological repository of high-level radioactive waste plays a key role in ensuring the isolation function of host rock as a natural barrier under the multi-field coupling environment.For a better understanding of granite in China's Beishan pre-selected area for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste,a series of investigations were carried out on in-situ stress field of rock mass at depth,strength and deformation characteristics of rocks under different stress and temperature conditions,and rock boreability and adaptability to Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM)technology.The results indicate that Beishan granite shows typical characteristics as a hard and brittle rock with a quite low permeability,and it is favorable to geological disposal.Meanwhile,a new rock mass suitability evaluation system was proposed,and the rock mass mainly composed of Beishan granite was proven to be suitable for geological disposal.Besides,the constructability of Beishan granite at engineering scale was tested and verified through field tests in the Beishan Exploration Tunnel(BET).Here,we summarize the main outcomes of rock mechanics research on Beishan granite in the past years and introduced the current progress of Beishan underground research laboratory(URL)for geological disposal.

Current status of the geological disposal programme and an overview of the safety case at the pre-siting stage in Japan

In Japan,high-level radioactive waste and specific low-level radioactive waste which includes long-lived radionuclides are planned to be disposed of in the geological formations at depths greater than 300 m.The disposal site will be selected through a stepwise site investigation process that consists of a Literature Survey,Preliminary Investigation,and Detailed Investigation phases.In October 2020 a Literature Survey was launched in Japan at two municipalities in Hokkaido for the first time since NUMO initiated a nationwide call for volunteer municipalities in 2002,and the outcomes are currently being compiled.To enhance the public’s understanding of how to implement safe geological disposal in Japan based on the latest scientific knowledge and technology,NUMO,as the implementing organisation,developed and published a safety case for geological disposal at the pre-siting stage.This safety case provides multiple lines of arguments and evidence to demonstrate the feasibility of the geological disposal and a basic structure for a safety case that will be applicable to any potential sites in Japan.The safety case also presented some R&D challenges to enhance the technical confidence of the project,including the R&D topics related to rock mechanics.This report presents the current status of the geological disposal programme in Japan,together with the status of the Literature Survey phase and an overview of the NUMO safety case.

Experiments on thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of Opalinus Clay at Mont Terri rock laboratory, Switzerland

Repositories for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste rely on multi-barrier systems to isolate waste from the biosphere.A multi-barrier system typically comprises the natural geological barrier provided by the repository host rock e in our case the Opalinus Clay e and an engineered barrier system(EBS).The Swiss repository concept for spent fuel and vitrified high-level waste(HLW)consists of waste canisters,which are emplaced horizontally in the middle of an emplacement gallery and are separated from the gallery wall by granular backfill material(GBM).We describe here a selection of five in-situ experiments where characteristic hydro-mechanical(HM)and thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)processes have been observed.The first example is a coupled HM and mine-by test where the evolution of the excavation damaged zone(EDZ)was monitored around a gallery in the Opalinus Clay(ED-B experiment).Measurements of pore-water pressures and convergences due to stress redistribution during excavation highlighted the HM behaviour.The same measurements were subsequently carried out in a heater test(HE-D)where we were able to characterise the Opalinus Clay in terms of its THM behaviour.These yielded detailed data to better understand the THM behaviours of the granular backfill and the natural host rock.For a presentation of the Swiss concept for HLW storage,we designed three demonstration experiments that were subsequently implemented in the Mont Terri rock laboratory:(1)the engineered barrier(EB)experiment,(2)the in-situ heater test on key-THM processes and parameters(HE-E)experiment,and(3)the full-scale emplacement(FE)experiment.The first demonstration experiment has been dismantled,but the last two ones are on-going.

Influence of heating and water-exposure on the liquid limits of GMZ01 and MX80 bentonites

Bentonite has been considered as a buffer material for embedding canisters with high-level radioactive waste（HLW） in deep geological repositories.GMZ bentonite deposit,located in Xinghe County,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China was proposed as a buffer/backfill material for HLW repository in China.The liquid limits of natural Na-bentonite GMZ01 and commercial Na-bentonite MX80,which are previously heated at 80 ℃ and 95 ℃,respectively,and exposed to water for different times are measured.It is observed that the liquid limit of GMZ01 increases slightly at the beginning,and then decreases as the heating time increases,while the liquid limit of MX80 decreases with the heating time.The liquid limits of both GMZ01 and MX80 decrease with increasing water-exposure time.After the samples are heated at 80℃and 95 ℃ for several months,the mineralogical composition of GMZ01 does not exhibit evident change,whereas MX80 experiences some changes.In addition,the chemical composition,cation exchange capacity（CEC） and exchangeable cation of all the samples do not change significantly.

Experimental Studies on Penetration of Pulverized Clay-Based Grout

For the geological disposal of high level radioactive wastes, an excavation damaged zone （EDZ） having high hydraulic conductivity resulting from the development of fractures in the rock adjacent to the tunnels will be one of the potential pathways for radioactive contaminant transport. The potential pathways will be sealed by closure components, that is, a combination of tunnel plug, backfill and grout, the latter material being a clay-based mixture in consideration of the need for long-term stability of the seals. Clay-based grout is one of the effective candidate materials that can be used to interrupt the migration of radionuclides through an EDZ. Laboratory testing of clay-based grout using pulverized bentonite, with the objective of improvement in grout penetration into a rockmass, was conducted. The results showed that the pulverization of clay-based grout had a positive effect on filtration.

Effects of Temperature on the Deposition Rate of Supersaturated Silicic Acid on Ca-type Bentonite Tsuyoshi Sasagawa, Taiji Chida and Yuichi Niibori

Na-type bentonite is commonly used as a tunnel backfilling material to prevent groundwater and radionuclide migration during the construction of a geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste in Japan. However, host rock fractures with strong water flow can develop groundwater paths in the backfilling material. Especially, the alteration to Ca-type bentonite causes degradation of the barrier performance and accelerates the development of groundwater paths. Additionally, using cementitious materials gradually changes pH between 13 and 8. High alkaline groundwater results in high solubility of silicic acid; therefore, silicic acid is eluted from the host rock. Downstream, in the low alkaline area, the groundwater becomes supersaturated in silicic acid. This acid is deposited on Ca-type bentonite, thus leading to the clogging of the groundwater paths. In the present study, we investigate the silicic acid deposition rate on Ca-type bentonite under 288-323 K for depths greater or equal to 500 m. The results indicate that temperature does not affect the silicic acid deposition rate up to 323 K. However, in this temperature range, the deposition of silicic acid on Ca-type bentonite in backfilled tunnels results in clogging of the flow paths.

Understanding the role of alloyed Ni and Cu on improving corrosion resistance of low alloy steel in the simulated Beishan groundwater

The corrosion behavior of NiCu low alloy steel and Q235 low carbon steel as the candidate materials for geological disposal containers of high-level radioactive waste in the simulated Beishan groundwater was comparatively studied by weight loss test,electrochemical measurements,scanning electron microscope(SEM),electron probe microanalysis(EPMA),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Raman spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The electrochemical results showed that the corrosion potential of NiCu steel and Q235 steel gradually increased with the immersion time.Simultaneously,the cathodic process transited from hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) control to the rust reduction control,while the anodic process was always dominated by the active dissolution of iron.By comparison,both the cathodic resistance and the anodic dissolution resistance of NiCu steel corrosion were apparently higher than that of Q235 steel.The results of rust layer characterization indicated that Ni and Cu elements could be enriched in the inner rust layer of NiCu steel and the rust layer was more compact.As the main corrosion products,the content of α-FeOOH in the rust layer of NiCu steel was obviously increased more than that of Q235 steel.Fe_(6)(OH)_(12)SO_(4)stably existed in the corrosion products of NiCu steel because Ni(Ⅱ) or Cu(Ⅱ)could substitute Fe(Ⅱ) of Fe_(6)(OH)_(12)SO_(4)and increased its oxidation resistance,Moreover,Ni and Cu could also make Fe3O4ionic selective by doping.After the long-term immersion,the corrosion mass loss of NiCu steel was significantly lower than Q235 steel,which further confirmed the benefits of Ni and Cu alloying on improving the steel corrosion resistance.