In this perspective, the construction of a centralised storage pool, which will be piloted and operated by EDF and which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2034, will make it possible to increase the volume of long-term storage of spent fuel and thus avoid saturation, in conjunction with the measures below. While waiting for the centralised storage pool, studies on transitional solutions have been launched by Orano and EDF in 2019, in conjunction with the ASN. The preferred solution is to densify the existing pools at the ORANO site in La Hague site. A complementary solution would be to deploy a dry storage facility for plutonium (MOX) and reprocessed uranium (URE) fuels.
Concerning the long-term storage of currently non-recyclable spent fuel in existing or under construction industrial facilities, namely plutonium fuel (MOX) or uranium issued from treatment, EDF is considering the construction of a centralised underwater storage facility at the La Hague site. This project, which was presented during the public debate on the National Plan for Radioactive Materials and Waste Management Plan (PNGMDR) in 2019-2020, is the subject of a specific public consultation under the supervision of the National Public Debate Commission (CNDP), which began on 22 November 2021. It was suspended on 3 February 2022 to give itself time to reinforce the concerting modalities to better cover the territory of La Manche and the raised issues, and will go on from 20 June 2022 to 8 July 2022 (for more details see note 15.1.1. Nuclear provision in France to the consolidated financial statements 31 December 2021 - section 6.1). See section 1.4.1.1.2.3 « The issues relating to the nuclear activity » : A - « Dowstream », « Processing of spent fuel from EDF's nuclear power stations », - « Storing conditioned final radioactive waste », et C - « Issues related to the dismantling of power stations ».
In the UK, radioactive waste is classified into four categories:
EDF Energy nuclear generation’s strategy for LLW and HAW reflects that the UK and Scottish Governments are focused on application of the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover). The use of a range of waste recycling and disposal routes will help to make the best use of the UK’s Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) in Cumbria. Only a disposal route for LLW currently exists in the UK. HAW is stored for the medium-term in safe, purpose-built facilities at EDF Energy’s stations while longer term national solutions are being established within England and Scotland.
Spent fuel from the AGRs is transported to Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site (owned by Sellafield Limited, a subsidiary of the NDA) for long term storage. PWR spent fuel from Sizewell B is stored on site in a purpose-built spent fuel dry storage facility which will safely store all of the spent fuel that will be generated over Sizewell B’s life. Following long-term surface storage, the Sizewell B PWR spent fuel will be disposed to a future UK geological disposal facility.
The AGR spent fuel arrangements were agreed at the time of the restructuring of British Energy and through them EDF Energy pays for long term storage (and in previous years reprocessing) of spent nuclear fuel. Sizewell B’s fuel storage strategy is approved by the NDA as it is funded by the Nuclear Liabilities Fund. EDF Energy has policies to continually improve and minimise the spent fuel and waste arising through the company’s wider safety, sustainability and environmental policies (see section 1.4.5.1.2.2 “Nuclear generation” : “Radioactive waste management and decommissioning”).
| Solid radioactive waste indicator | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| France: volume of long-lived high and intermediate level solid radioactive waste (m3) | 304 | 283 | 287 |
| United Kingdom: volume of low-level solid radioactive waste disposed of (m3) | 444 | 352 | 471 |
In France, the confirmation of the decrease in HLW and ILW-LL radioactive waste production volumes was correlated with the decrease in fuel consumption over the year 2020 and part of 2021 due to reduced electricity generation. In the United Kingdom, the return to the level of volumes of VLLW was the result of the return to normal business, particularly in the decommissioning field. In addition to the previous indicators, the generating plants in operation in France are concerned by very-low level solid radioactive waste (VLLW) and short-lived high-level and intermediate-level solid radioactive waste (LILW-SL).
The volume of very-low level waste in 2021 is 3,273m3, compared to 2,597m3 in 2020 and 3,101m3 in 2019. The volume of short-lived low-level and intermediate- level waste in 2021 is 6,329m3 compared to 5,429m3 in 2020 and 5,734m3 in 2019. Within the Group’s scope in the United Kingdom, the intermediate-level radioactive waste generated is 161m3, stable compared to 2020 and 2019.
