Wednesday, October 8, 2014

SKB does not want the environmental test copper canisters – New Technology

       

In the spring of 2011, the nuclear industry through the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SKB, in its application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark Swedish to the Land and Environment Court in Nacka.

According to the method, the nuclear waste should be placed in copper canisters, which are deposited in bentonite clay, deep in the bedrock near the Forsmark nuclear power plant.

What the court does is to review and assess the environmental impact.

In the days right would have determined whether the application is complete, according to the schedule from March 2014 But the new proposal on schedule means that the decision will be sometime in early 2015th

SKB considered as early as 2013 that the application was substantially complete. But several commentators, organizations and agencies, believes that the impact on the environment can not be considered to be sufficiently investigated. SKB has promised more additions but they have been delayed. A third round was submitted to the court in September. Next is expected to land at Court members at year-end.

– The application must be complete so that it can be tested, says John Smith, alderman in 1333-11 target.

A contentious issue is how closely the court shall examine the issues related to the risks of radiation and radioactive leaks.

According to Johan Swahn, Director of MKG, Environmental kärnavfallsgranskning hampers SKB processing:

- SKB want to keep away from strålsäkerhetsfrågorna court process. This is a tactic from the company, but the risk is that the behavior can become an obstacle to the trial, he said.

Rådmannen Johan Smith describes the behavior like this:

– SKB’s view is that we should not try some safety issues as thoroughly as SSM (editor’s note : Radiation Safety Authority) should do.

It is the court that determines when the application is complete. If the SKB line wins sympathy may issues around the copper canisters fall outside the environmental assessment.

One such contentious issue is whether copper can corrode in the anoxic groundwater in rock repository.

SKB’s latest progress report on the subject was sent last week to the SSM (concurrently reviewing the company’s application). SKB considers that where copper can not corrode in oxygen-free water. But copper is described not be “immune”.

MKG’s Johan Swahn:

– to the copper corrodes down can hardly be considered a smådetalj in context. After all, the barrier performance. Therefore, the court must take into it.

Location report describes how copper pieces, surface-treated in different ways, placed in oxygen-free water in a glass tube sealed with a rubber stopper. Then develop a relatively large amount of hydrogen gas after some days. The amount decreases when the gas seeps through the cork. SKB interpret the results as hydrogen evolution mainly from hydrogen in the metal, and that the reaction between water and cups quickly stops. If the reaction continues, it is considered to be proof that copper corrodes.

According to SKB’s expert Karsten Pedersen, Professor of geomikrobiologi – whose experiments SKB is based on the report – it is not clear to say about the evolution of hydrogen stops or if it continues. He says that crucial effort will be made later this fall.

– We will empty the glass tubes on hydrogen gas, seal and see if hydrogen gas is evolved again says Karsten Pedersen. Continuing development can be a sustainable process that produces hydrogen from copper in oxygen-free water. Has development ground to a halt, it is very likely that a sustainable, hydrogen evolving process does not exist.

To clarify the corrosion issue requires Johan Swahn Now that SSM starts its own research program.

– It is not an issue as it looks today, but I’m not close any doors answers Ansi Gerhard, Head of disposal unit at SSM.

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