A status report on the Implementing Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste Technology Platform (IGD-TP).

The Implementing Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste Technology Platform (IGD-TP) was launched on November 12, 2009 and at the same time its Vision Report was published.

The main objectives of the IGD-TP are to initiate and carry out collaborative actions in Europe to facilitate the stepwise implementation of safe, deep geological disposal of spent fuel, high-level waste, and other long-lived radioactive waste by solving the remaining scientific, technological and social challenges, and thereby to support waste management programmes in the Member States. The Platform aims to enhance confidence in solutions identified, to reduce overlapping, to make savings in the total costs of research and implementation and to make better use of existing competences and research infrastructures.

The IGD-TP’s work is driven by 12 waste management organisations¹, which form the Executive Group that steers the IGD-TP. All 12 organisations share the common vision that “by 2025, the first geological disposal facilities for spent fuel, high-level waste, and other long-lived radioactive waste will be operating safely in Europe” (Vision 2025).

Currently, in April 2012, the IGD-TP has more than 85 participating organisations endorsing the vision and representing stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds e.g. waste management organisations (WMOs), industry, research institutes and centres and the academic community. The activities of the IGD-TP can be followed on the dedicated public website: www.igdtp.eu.

The Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) provides the basis for the priorities of the RD&D activities that are needed in order to achieve the Vision 2025. Of particular interest are the areas for which enhanced cooperation within the IGD-TP is considered desirable and practically achievable - the so called “Key Topics”. The SRA communicates the remaining research needs, but will also be an instrument for creating synergies, co-operation and co-ordination both internally between the IGD-TP participants and also externally with activities taking place in other technology platforms and within other international fora. The final SRA document was published on the public website in July 2011.

The current objective for the IGD-TP is to publish its Deployment Plan (DP) on how it will work together. At present, the IGD-TP is also geared towards starting new joint activities in RD&D on the Key Topics identified in the SRA. Some EC projects are already ongoing: LUCOEX – Large Underground Concept Experiments, FIRST-NUCLIDES - Fast / Instant Release of Safety Relevant Radionuclides from Spent Nuclear Fuel, BELBaR - Bentonite Erosion: effects on the Long term performance of the engineered Barrier and Radionuclide Transport and REDUPP -  Reducing Uncertainty in Performance Prediction. Another project DOPAS - Full Scale Demonstration of Plugs and Seals, was recently submitted to the EC for review.

A draft version of the DP was published in late December 2011 and is undergoing consultation during the first part of 2012. The final Deployment Plan should be published during summer 2012.