What is a GDF?
A Geological Disposal Facility, or GDF, is an underground facility designed to safely and securely dispose of our radioactive waste – specifically the most hazardous waste.
Nuclear Waste Services is the developer of a GDF in the UK.
A GDF consists of specially designed and engineered vaults and tunnels constructed deep underground.
Once radioactive waste is placed inside, the facility is permanently sealed. The design and engineering results in protection for hundreds of thousands of years without maintenance, allowing the radioactivity to fade away naturally.
The source of radioactive waste in the UK
Radioactive waste emerges from several sectors:
- nuclear power generation
- medical procedures and research
- industrial processes
- defence activities
The UK’s use of nuclear technology has provided multiple benefits, from powering homes to treating serious illnesses. This usage has resulted in various types of radioactive waste, including the most hazardous materials requiring careful management.
Materials for disposal
A GDF manages specific types of the most hazardous radioactive waste:
- high level waste from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing at Sellafield
- intermediate level waste from nuclear licensed sites, defence, medical, industrial, research and educational facilities
- specific low level waste unsuitable for the national Low Level Waste Repository
- spent fuel from commercial and research reactors
- plutonium stocks
- uranium stocks – including that arising from enrichment and fuel fabrication activities (yet to be declared waste)
- defence programme materials
Current storage solutions
The purpose-built above ground facilities where the UK currently keeps radioactive waste – most of which are at Sellafield in Copeland – are designed to be safe for around 100 years, and do not provide a permanent solution.
They need to be continually monitored to keep the waste secure and periodically refurbished while the radioactivity naturally decays.
For some of the waste this will take many thousands of years, so even if well maintained, eventually, they will need to be replaced, or the waste moved elsewhere.
Surface storage is also vulnerable to natural and human effects. Currently, the UK’s most hazardous radioactive waste is treated and safely packaged in solid form and held safely and securely at over 20 surface storage facilities across the country. While these facilities are safe for the short to medium term, they require ongoing management and need to be rebuilt around every 100-150 years to ensure they continue to be safe and secure.
Investing in a GDF now is a permanent solution and removes the need for ongoing human intervention for future generations.
Why is a GDF the preferred solution?
GDFs are internationally recognised by governments, technical experts, and scientists as the best solution for the safe, permanent disposal of our most hazardous radioactive waste and we’re seeing progress around the world.
Several countries are advancing their own GDF programmes:
Finland: Construction of ‘Onkalo’ facility underway with community support
Sweden: Forsmark site selected with backing from Osthammar and Oskarshamm communities
France: ANDRA preparing applications for the Cigeo facility
Switzerland and Canada: Developing implementation plans
These programmes are providing valuable insights and informing the progress we are making here.
Areas being considered within Mid Copeland
Two surface Areas of Focus (AoF) have been identified in Mid Copeland – land east Of Sellafield and land east of Seascale. The sub-surface AoF off the coast is the same for Mid Copeland and South Copeland.
There is more information about these AoF on the NWS website.
How could Mid Copeland be affected?
The development of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) is a long-term commitment that could help shape the future of the local community.