The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are to collaborate on developing geological disposal facilities (GDF) for higher activity radioactive waste.
The collaboration to develop GDF technology builds on IAEA’s recent work – developed with substantial support from the ITA – that resulted in a draft publication on managing the transition to accessing the underground for GDF, led by scientific secretary Gerald Nieder-Westermann, IAEA officer in the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology. The draft is currently in the publication process at the IAEA.
Recognising the need for waste management organisations to integrate safety considerations with the realities of underground construction, the ITA says it will collaborate on GDF with the IAEA on developing geological disposal facilities to support addressing this challenge.
To this end, the ITA has launched a dedicated special interest group in co-operation with the IAEA, to help industry better understand the specific requirements of GDF development. The group will be chaired by Arnold Dix. Both organisations will provide member states with the knowledge and technical support to deliver and maintain the underground infrastructure needed for the safe disposal of radioactive waste.
An IAEA delegation, led by Olena Mykolaichuk, director of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology, met the ITA, represented by president Andrea Pigorini, representative Daniel Garbutt, past president Arnold Dix and executive director Helen Roth in Vienna in September.
“For ITA, this initiative represents a significant opportunity to contribute our global expertise in underground engineering to one of the most critical and enduring tasks of our time,” said Andrea Pigorini. “We are committed to contributing our underground expertise to help shape solutions that will protect people and the planet for generations to come.”
The IAEA publication highlights the critical stage when programmes move from surface investigations to underground access, requiring close integration of scientific, technical and sociopolitical considerations. This work will support bridging the gap between safety case and engineering realities, underlining the importance of engaging with the tunnelling and underground construction community.
The ITA initiative will foster cross-border knowledge exchange, promote best practices in underground construction, and support repository designs that serve future generations.
