Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 63
63
Accepted
Accelerate identifying a safe GDF site with community confidence, without halting new nuclear development.
Recommendation
The first waste is not expected to be placed into a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) until the 2050s and until then, there is sufficient interim storage for both current and predicted future nuclear waste. The Government should continue work to identify a site for a GDF which will be geologically safe, and which will enjoy the confidence of the local community. Given that interim storage has been used for over 50 years and that waste from new nuclear facilities would be a small addition to the stock of waste held, we do not believe that new nuclear plants should be halted until a GDF facility has been established. (Paragraph 297) Delivering nuclear power 109
Government Response Summary
The government accepted both parts of the recommendation, detailing the ongoing GDF siting process which aims to select sites for detailed characterisation by 2026-27. It also explicitly agreed that new nuclear power plants should not be halted until a GDF is established, citing existing safe waste management practices.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The current process to identify a location in which to develop a GDF was launched in England in December 2018, and in Wales in January 2019. The estimated timescale for development of a GDF compares favourably with other countries that are implementing geological disposal using a siting process similar to the UK. For example, Finland began its process in 1983 and began construction in 2016. Their facility is expected to be operational by the mid-2020s. Sweden began their siting process in 1992 and identified a suitable site in 2009 and construction was approved in January 2022. By 2026–27, we are aiming to have selected sites we want to take forward for more detail site characterisation (involving the drilling of deep investigatory boreholes around 2029–30) so that we can fully understand the geology before committing to a site. The GDF will operate for over 100 years and needs to provide protection for the radioactive waste it will contain, which will remain hazardous for hundreds of thousands of years. That means investing in finding a suitable site that has been properly investigated to ensure it provides the necessary geological characteristics to keep the waste safe and secure. Our policy requires both suitable geology and a willing community. It requires Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) to work in partnership with communities that enter the siting process as it investigates possible locations in the area. This allows the community to develop its understanding of a GDF and the economic benefits inherent in hosting it. The current estimate is that construction will begin in the 2040s with a GDF operational in the 2050s, but timing may change depending on the complexity of the geological investigations and community support. The Government agrees that new nuclear power plants should not be halted until a GDF has been established. As noted, the UK has been producing and managing radioactive waste arising from nuclear power stations and other sectors for many decades. Around 94% of this waste is low in radioactivity and is disposed of safely every day in existing facilities. The remaining higher activity waste and spent nuclear fuel is currently stored safely and securely in facilities around the UK. Until such time a GDF is available, nuclear operators will continue to do this. The process to identify a suitable site for a GDF in England and Wales has a number of areas that are interested in hosting this facility and have entered the siting process. Geological investigations in the shape of a marine geophysical survey were conducted last summer in some of these areas.