An Overview of the Second Report on Research and Development for the Geological Disposal of HLW in Japan

摘要

In Japan, as outlined in the overall high-level radioactive waste (HLW) management program defined by the Atomic Energy Commission of Japan (AEC), the HLW separated from spent nuclear fuel at reprocessing plants will be immobilized in a glass matrix and stored for a period of 30 to 50 years to allow cooling. It will then be disposed of in a deep geological formation (geological disposal). Pursuant to the overall HLW management program, an organization with responsibility for implementing HLW disposal will be established around the year 2000. This will be followed by site selection and characterization, demonstration of disposal technology, establishment of the necessary legal infrastructure, relevant licensing applications and repository construction, with the objective of starting repository operation by the 2030s and no later than the mid 2040s.