The potential of nuclear power in Europe has been reignited by increased efforts to mitigate climate change, an abrupt emphasis on energy independence in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and reports of nuclear fusion advancements. The development of small modular reactors (SMRs) is gathering momentum, and there is a renewed sense of optimism regarding the potential of nuclear power.
Advocates of nuclear energy frequently portray it as a sustainable source of “infinite” quantities of carbon-free power. It is noteworthy that the discourse transitioned from “renewable energy” to “fossil-free energy.”
The long-term protection of these waste materials is a concern, particularly in the event of an increase in nuclear energy output, due to the management of “used” nuclear fuel used in nuclear energy production. The issue of long-term deposition has generated heated political debates, resulting in the postponement or complete cancellation of several projects, despite the fact that decades have passed since the establishment of short-term storage facilities. The Yucca Mountain nuclear facility in the United States has ceased construction entirely, resulting in the nation’s possession of 93 operational reactors and a lack of a permanent repository for the waste they produce.
Three distinct categories of radioactive waste are produced by nuclear power facilities:
- Temporary waste at the low and intermediate levels;
- Durable waste at the low and intermediate levels;
- The radioactive lifetime of spent nuclear fuel is extensive.
Nuclear energy production is significantly impeded by long-lived waste, which is composed of radioactive materials that require thousands of years to revert to “safe” levels. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) believes that half of the radiation in spent fuel, which is composed of strontium-90 and cesium-137, can degrade within 30 years. Conversely, plutonium-239 necessitates 24,000 years to transition to a state that is considered “harmless.” There is a remarkable lack of international agreement on the duration of time necessary for radioactive waste to return to a state that is “safe” for organic life. Additionally, the international nuclear management organizations are still grappling with the definitions of “harmless” and “secure” in this context.
Geological data repositories that are permanent
Despite the apparent resurgence of nuclear energy, only a small number of countries presently operate such facilities. Finland and Sweden are the only countries that are currently constructing geological repositories that they regard as “permanent” or “final.”
The construction, filling, and securing of a final repository in the village of Forsmark was authorized by the Swedish government in January 2022. The facility is expected to be completed within the next century. Preparation experts predict that this repository will maintain a high level of integrity for a hundred thousand years, which will be sufficient to generate uranium-like radioactivity in the earth’s subsoil.
Finland commenced the construction of its Onkalo high-level nuclear waste repository in 2004 and is making substantial strides toward its objective of completing the facility by the end of the 21st century.
The technological technique that Finland and Sweden intend to incorporate into their enduring repositories is KBS-3 storage. This approach involves the encasing of spent nuclear fuel in cast iron, its transfer to copper receptacles, and the construction of a 500-meter-deep enclosure surrounding it with clay and boulders. Other nations, such as the United Kingdom, are currently contemplating similar or identical strategies.
Anna Storm, the author, Fourni
Finland and Sweden have designated KBS-3 as the world’s first nuclear waste management system. The creation of this project was the result of decades of scientific investigation and stakeholder negotiations, with a particular focus on the residents of the area surrounding the interred refuse.
Storage methodology concerns remain indispensable. In Sweden, there has been significant public discourse regarding the corrosion of test copper canisters after only a few decades. I am apprehensive about the inert safety-based approach. After the construction of storage sites and the filling and sealing of containers, all contents will be deposited underground, rendering them impervious to human supervision or technical retrieval. However, deliberate or inadvertent human or non-human intrusion into the location has continued to pose a significant risk for the past 100,000 years.
Document that contains critical information
Another issue is the dissemination of information regarding nuclear waste that is concealed from future generations. The survival of humanity is at risk, and languages may disappear if discarded fuel remains hazardous for one hundred thousand years. The transmission of information about these sites into the future is a significant endeavor that requires international cooperation and specialized knowledge in the social sciences and the nuclear waste memory transfer process, which is referred to as nuclear memory communication.
I The Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company (SKB) engaged us to create the “Key Information File,” a non-technical booklet that contains the most critical information regarding the developing nuclear waste deposit in Sweden.
The Key Information File is a succinct summary document that is designed to help future readers understand the risks associated with buried refuse. It serves as a “key” to other archives and nuclear memory communication, directing readers to supplementary content until the repository is decommissioned at the conclusion of the twenty-first century. The fate of the Key Information File beyond this juncture remains unknown; however, its contents will be necessary for future generations.
The Key Information File that we disclose in 2024 will be securely stored at the entrance of the Swedish nuclear waste repository and the National Archives in Stockholm. The strategy involves the replication of the content across a variety of media formats and the translation of it into a multitude of languages to ensure its endurance and perpetuation over time. Upon the conclusion of the English version, it will be translated into Swedish and other languages.
The file is updated every ten years to guarantee the veracity and accessibility of critical information. It is recommended that the file be integrated into educational curricula, supplemented with visual aids such as graphic design and artwork to improve memorability, and global networks be established for the creation and storage of Key Information Files in countries where decisions regarding the storage of extremely radioactive substances have not yet been made.
The paradox of short-termism and peril
During the development of the Key Information File, we identified a number of challenges with the capacity of these systems to transmit nuclear waste repository memories in the future. One is the extraordinary vulnerability of organizations and programs; in recent years, the retirement of a single member from a nuclear organization was sufficient to halt or extinguish an entire memory communication program.
What optimism do we have for the next 100,000 years, given the challenges of information communication and preservation in the short term?
A expanding global emphasis is being placed on “impactful” short-term environmental solutions that typically have a lifespan of two to three generations.. However, the existence of persistent nuclear waste requires us to exercise caution and foresight with respect to a future that may extend beyond the human species and beyond that specific time frame.
Governments and research benefactors worldwide must provide support for long-term, intergenerational research on these and related topics in order to address these concerns. In order to protect institutional knowledge and experience, it is imperative to implement meticulous succession planning for retiring professionals. Additionally, this may entail the allocation of consistent financial resources from the Swedish nuclear waste fund to address potential societal challenges related to information transmission and memory, as well as the upcoming technical complications associated with refuse deposition.