Cigéo Project

2019-09-30
Ecole des Mines de Nantes
 Contents

Andra
Bure Underground Research Laboratory
Categories of radioactive waste
Cigéo : a unique project
Cigéo present design development
Cigéo canisters
The future of Cigéo

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 ANDRA

ANDRA is a French public body created by law on Dec 30,

1991.

ANDRA is in charge of all activities related to definitive

« storage » of all radio-active waste.

This includes, for each class of radio-active waste:

 Specification for acceptance of waste packages,
 Survey for siting of repositories,
 Design and construction of repositories,
 Management of repositories,
 Closing and long term monitoring.

Andra is also in charge of other miscellaneous missions,

including cleaning of orphan sites, collecting of specific
waste…
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 ANDRA

Andra’s mission may be described as:

 Find, Operate, and Guarantee safe
solutions for the management of
all French radio-active waste,
 In order to preserve present and
future generations from the risks
originated by radio-activity.
This mission is defined in a law (June
28, 2006).
Andra depends on the Ministries in
charge of Energy, Environment, and
Scientific Research.
Andra is independent from all waste In 2016, Andra is present on 5
producers. sites.

650 employees are working at Andra.

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 ANDRA

Working Group for the

National Public Debate National Plan for the
Committee management of RW
High-level Committee Industrial
High Committee for Local Information & Co-ordination
Transparency and Inf. Oversight Committee of Committee
on Nuclear Security the Bure URL
Meuse / Haute-
Marne elected
Waste Producers
officials
Stakeholders
incl. civil society

National Review Board Research follow-up

Institut (CNE2) Committee on back-end
of Fuel Cycle
STATE
Nuclear Safety
Authority (ASN) R&D organisation
Advisory
Committee Cigéo-related
Project Review Groups
Proposals decisions

Reviewers Andra, implementer and

future operator of Cigéo

Scientific Board
Industrial Committee

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 CIGEO: a bit of history …. and future

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 CIGEO : a progressive approach

Challenges Achievements
Knowledge development and identification Preliminary R&D
of possible sites 1992-1996: generic, desk studies and investigations
from the surface, application for URL

Underground laboratory
1999-2005: site specific R&D
Acquisition of specific knowledge at the site
Transposition zone (250 km2)
2005: demonstration of feasibility and identification
Demonstration of the feasibility in view of of the TZ
the new Act to be debated at the Parliament Zone of interest (30km2)
2006-2009: detailed site investigations, 2 and 3D
seismic surveys
Focusing on the most suitable location
Location of the underground facility
2010: based on technical results and on
Preparing the industrial project political/social advices
Increasing of technological developments and
moving to the industrial phase
Industrial development
Preliminary design Location of surface facilities
Detailed design 2014: taking stock of the National Public Debate

Successive safety assessments

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 Development of CIGEO: learning over time

Clear definition of the requirements

Clear development plan, updated on a regular basis

Successive safety cases, each one being suited to the

corresponding development phase of the project

International reviews

Operation of the Bure URL

A scientific and technical tool

An unequalled political lever

Structured R&D programme and launch of coordinated R&D

through Groups of Laboratories

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 CIGEO supported by an intensive R&D effort

ANDRA staff: 650, including100 in R&D, relying on an extensive network

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 Bure URL, a valuable underground laboratory

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 Learning overtime: general approach

Phase Role of the URL

R&D Get detailed information and

develop knowledge on the
geological formation
Scientific experiments in order
Conceptual design
to support modelling of the
physical processes
Preliminary design Technological experiments on
construction and on waste
packages transfers
Detailed design Industrial development of
technologies
Monitoring and follow-up of
long-term experiments
Commissioning of Cigéo
Developments for optimization

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 Bure URL : technology demonstration

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Categories of radio-active waste to be stored in Cigéo

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 Radio-active waste producers

More than 1 000 producers

Nuclear energy (EDF, Areva), universities, hospitals, research centers (including
CEA), industries, communities, and even private individuals (old lightning rods)
Who produce the equivalent of 2 kg of radioactive waste per year and per person.

French radioactive waste: allocation of existing stock of waste by end 2010, per industrial sector of
economy.
(source : Inventaire national édition 2012)

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 National inventory (edition 2012)

By end of 2010 : 1 320 000 m3

90 % of radioactive waste (in volume) produced per year have already their
definitive storage solution.
HA (HLW) and MA-VL (ILLW) need to find their storage solution: Cigéo.

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 The French classification

Short-lived waste Long-lived waste

Period ≤ 31 years Period > 31 years

Very low Recycling or disposal of waste from dismantling

operations (CSTFA in France since 2003)

level Graphite, radium-

bearing waste
Low level (Studies stage in France)
Waste mainly from
day-to-day operation
of NPPs
(CSFMA in France since 1992)
Intermediate
level

Waste from SF reprocessing plants

(Geological disposal facility in France to be commissioned in 2025)
High level
HL vitrified waste : after reprocessing & cooling,

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 Primary waste packages

National inventory gives the list of existing and forecasted

quantities of radioactive waste.
PNGMDR defines the management principles for each type of
radioactive waste.
PIGD defines the HLW (high level waste) and ILLW (Intermediate
level longlife waste) to be taken into account for dimensioning of
Cigéo.

PIGD Vd Inventory

Nb of
Category of Volume
primary
waste (m3)
packages
HLW Packages ILLW
HLW 56 033 10 072

ILLW 175 981 73 609

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 Cigéo : a unique project

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 Cigéo objectives

Store safely and on the very long term French most dangerous
radioactive waste
Protect humans and environment from the invisible risks caused by
radioactivity of such waste. This means over a period of hundreds
of millenaries.
Present generations have to manage their own waste. No transfer
of the task to future generations.

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 Cigéo: a unique Project

How to manage safety of such an infrastructure during

construction, operation, and after closing on the very long term?
A nuclear site, partly at ground level and at 500m depth: Construction
techniques and nuclear techniques are used for the same project and
have to work together.
A nuclear site to be operated on more than a century, where risks
have to be maintained at their lower level:
Identify risks (fire, handling…)
Forecast and set in place all equipment necessary to eliminate the
risks or to reduce their occurrence at the lower level possible (ALARA)
Detect any malfunction
Study the “what if” cases (what happens if, anyway, there is an
accident).
For the long term, imagine and take into account the human and
climate or nature hazards, and demonstrate the repository safety on 1
million years.

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 Cigéo: a unique Project

Other functions to be taken into account into the design and

management of the Project:

Reversibility over 100 years. A law should be voted to define the

details of what is requested under the reversibility function.
A complex legal and administrative background.
A necessary transparency and open communication with the
public (Public Debate), and with “territories” (investment and
employment in Meuse, Haute Marne…)
A finance plan over 130 years.
Integration of the Project in its environment as a whole: railways,
roads, flora and fauna, “OPE” (long-lasting environment
observatory).

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 Cigéo: a unique Project

Cigéo as part of a whole: it takes

into account the upstream tasks :
Packaging of the waste where they are produced

Temporary storage of the primary packages

Checking and transportation of packages

Production of canisters (containers) for final

storage

National energy policy has a direct

impact on waste inventory :
Treatment of spent fuel or not

Number and durability of nuclear reactors

New types of nuclear reactors (RNR, ITER, others to

come)

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 Cigéo present design development

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 General organization for the preliminary design

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 Interest zone for comprehensive survey

≈ 250 km²

≈ 30 km²

Clay formation: median depth ≈ 525m — Thickness ≈148

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 A progressive and converging approach

3- Area defined for location of repository

U/G facilities after local consultation (2009)
and detailed geological survey from the Additional above-ground
Detailed surface geological survey 2007-
survey in 2008
2010
2- Transposition
zone of URL
4- Location of results
repository (proposed 2005)
surface
facilities
presented
during the
Public Debate

1- Siting started in 1992 with a

National call for volunteering; URL
licensed 1998

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 Cigéo facilities

2 surface facilities:
 Nuclear: Receiving, inspecting, and preparing
packages
 Non Nuclear: Shafts for construction work

Underground facility in
clay (500m depth)

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 Surface installations

Reception Area (100 Ha)

(nuclear)

Pits area (200 Ha)

(nuclear and non
nuclear)

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 Underground infrastructures (schematic)

HLW 1/2 section

HLW1- HLW 0/3/7 section

Reference
ZSL Works: Z foundation
raft = -146.0

ZSL Operations
Z foundation raft =
-154.0

ILW-LL section

PS
AM
ER
V IC
SE
R MP
RA
S
A GE
CK
PA

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 Waste packages transfer

Ramp operation - PACKAGES

COX
Ø ext. 10.90m
Ø int. 8.00 m

Return strand
cable strand cable
Vehicle Zones subject to
Upper station with HLW transfer cask
(Ø 49 mm)
centred on the line process load
descents

Funicular proposed by POMA

Ramp Funicular
 Length: 4.2 km
 Difference in elevation: more than 500 m
 Slope: 12%
 Payload: 130 t
 Total rolling weight: 175 t
 Pulley effort required: 750 kW Lower station with HLW transfer
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cask
 Zoom on the IL-LLW disposal cell

 Length: ≈400 m

Disposal  Excavated diameter: 9 m

package
Disposal  2x2 or 3x3 packages
chamber
 No. of containers: 800-1,900

Handling
cell

Access
drift

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 Zoom on the HLW disposal cell

 Length: 100 m
Effe  Diameter: 70 cm
ct
sec ive
tion
Cell  No.of containers: 7-20
hea
d

Pushing
robot
Transfer tube

Package of vitrified waste

(CSD-V)

Spacer
Thermal
decoupling
Disposal package
of packages
Sleeve Emplacement and retrieval of
packages

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 Stability with evolving environment

The development of the project is very progressive, as will

be its construction
This progressivity implies the concept of reversibility
Providing the possibility to retrieve already disposed of radioactive
waste packages
Allowing a gradual and controlled implementation of the repository
It also offers opportunities for
Adaptability, including optimization
Flexibility (options for SF direct disposal)
Testing at scale 1 (industrial pilot phase, aka “Phipil”)
Controlling: monitoring
Implying next generations in the decision process, letting them a
burden with already available solutions, but also with the freedom of
developing their own solutions
Making funds available
Our challenge for 2018 is to be able to tell a story with solutions, but also with open options to make it
“as evolutionary as possible”

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 Rollout of underground section will continue until
completion

HLW 1/2 section

Schematic diagram for 2030

HLW1- HLW 0/3/7 section

Reference
ZSL Works: Z foundation
raft = -146.0

Schematic diagram for 2050

ZSL Operations
Z foundation raft =
-154.0

ILW-LL section

PS
AM
ER
V IC
SE
R MP
RA
S
A GE
CK
PA

Schematic diagram for 2080

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 Storage of packages (surface phase)

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 Storage of packages (underground phase)

Funiculaire dans descenderie

Gare haute avec hotte HA Gare basse avec hotte HA

Alvéole HA et robot pousseur

Alvéole MAVL et pont stockeur

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 Cigéo underground structures: some quantities

For information, approached quantities for the underground works (end of preliminary design)
(Jalon Japs3b -juin 2014) A fin 2034 (phase pilote) A terminaison
Emprise souterraine : ~ 12 km²
Linéaire d’ouvrages : ~ 32 km ~ 269 km

Puits : 5 puits ~ 570 m soit ~ 3 km

Descenderie : 2 descenderies, 12 % de pente ~ 4 200 m soit ~ 9 km
Galeries de liaison et d’accès, zone de soutien logistique : ~28 km ~ 92 km

Alvéoles MAVL (600 m de longueur) : 4 alvéoles (~ 2,5 km) 50 alvéoles plus 3 témoins (~ 31km)
Alvéoles HA0 (80 m de longueur) : 16 alvéoles (~ 1,3 km) 75 alvéoles dont 3 témoins (~ 6km)
Alvéoles HA 1/2 (100 m de longueur) : - 1 473 alvéoles dont 8 témoins (~ 147km)
avec 681 alvéoles HA1 et 792 alvéoles HA2

Volume de creusement : ~ 2 millions m3 ~ 8,3 millions m3

(40 % réutilisés en remblayage du souterrain)
Volume de béton : ~ 0,7 million m3 ~ 4,0 millions m3

Architecture
souterraine
à terminaison (Japs3b)

CG-TE-D-PLA-SCVG-AF0-4000-14-0005

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 Reversibility : a law published in July, 2016

Opening of the cell

Technical steps

Retrieving the waste package

Transfer back to surface

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 Cigéo transportation system

A small movie, in order to illustrate the complexity of

the (automatic) transportation and storage system

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 Cigéo canisters

And now some pictures and data related to Cigéo canisters.

General: a canister (or storage container) is a sort of container

in which the primary package is inserted before taking its way
in the repository

The canister fulfils many functions, in relation with nuclear

safety.

Different shapes and materials are already designed for the

canisters, in order to receive the whole range of primary
packages (3 producers, EDF, Areva, CEA) but a long history of
production, past and future).

Canisters for HLW primary packages are made of steel,

Canisters for ILLW primary packages are generally made of
concrete.
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 HLW canisters

Some data

6 models of HLW
canisters

HA0 = 2030 -2039

HA1/2 = 2079 - 2144

55 000 canisters

≈ 4 000 (2028 -
2038)
≈ 51 000 (après
2070)

Weight of a canister:
1 200 to 2 500 kg

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 HLW canisters

Sealing of canisters after introduction of the primary

package
(electron beam welding)

Electron Weld 55 mm thick Weld run Machining

beam
welding

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 ILLW canisters

Some data

7 models of canisters
ILLW

6 different
partitioning design

6 different cover
design

About 72 000
concrete canisters
(2029-2099)

Unit weight
8 000 to 12 500 kg

Reinforcement weight
400 to 800 kg

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 The Future of CIGEO

The mains future steps of CIGEO:

Preliminary design is progressing (forecast issue by end of 2017)
Administrative process for obtaining of construction license (start by mid
2018
Detailed design
Construction of first tranche
Setting in operation of industrial pilot phase (target 2029)
End of tranche 1(2029-2035)
Construction and operation of following tranches (2035-2140)
Closing of Cigéo (2145)
Follow-up over 300 years minimum (year 2445 and after)
Passive self-protection of the repository for 100 000 years (as a first step).

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 The Future of CIGEO

Such a long future requires to imagine, at present, the ways to

transfer the memory of the Project, not only to our grand children,
but on future generations on the long term.
This is a part of Andra’s task: “Project Memory”. Groups of persons
are already working on potential solutions.
Future generations have already their web site:
www.lesarpenteurs.fr

Transmission of memory may take miscellaneous ways, such as

Permanent maintenance of memory on new supports (how long?)
Long life paper and ink (500 years ago: birth of Marie Tudor)
Construction of specific buildings (or geometrical landscape) such as
pyramids (5000 years)
Artistic solutions
Raycats… or any other solution to be invented.

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 Thank you for your attention

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