Belgium And The Netherlands Plan New Waste Storage Facilities 

Radioactive waste includes all types of waste that are radioactive. They need to be treated and stored and handled with the necessary security.

Belgian and Dutch agencies for radioactive waste management are developing important projects to ensure the safe storage of waste with different levels of radioactivity.

 

Belgium

Ondraf/Niras, the Belgian agency for the management of radioactive waste, recently announced the start of the construction of the Dessel facility.

The building will house the drums of low-level waste that present a risk of frost formation.

As frost flow was observed on a number of low-level waste drums in 2013, Ondraf immediately launched an intensive research programme, which showed that the gel formation was due to a chemical reaction in the concrete that coats the waste rather than a radiological reaction.

The first drums of waste are expected to be placed in the new facility within about three years.

More details: Ondraf/Niras: Nouveau chantier à Dessel

 

The Netherlands

Covra, the Dutch Central Organisation for Radioactive Waste, has announced plans for a new multi-functional storage building for low and intermediate-level waste.

The agency said the current storage building is starting to fill up, so an additional storage facility is required.

The new facility is planned for the storage of waste, currently stored in Petten, (site of medical isotope producer NRG), and for future dismantling waste.

More details: Covra: Plannen voor een nieuw opslaggebouw op ons terrein