China has completed a key phase of construction of a deep underground laboratory for research into radioactive waste disposal. At the Beishan site in Gansu province, a complex spiral ramp tunnel has been constructed, leading down to a depth of about 560 metres.
This unique scientific complex, created by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in the rock strata under the Gobi Desert, is designed to ensure the safe permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.
CNNC chief scientist and lead designer of the project, Wang Jiu, said nuclear energy remains a highly efficient and low-carbon source, with about 99% of the waste generated being low- and medium-level and decaying over time. However, the remaining 1% – high level waste – requires safe insulation for hundreds of thousands of years. The Beishan project is seen not only as a national solution, but also as a global platform for international cooperation and exchange of best practices.
Choosing a location for such an object is difficult. Following almost three decades of research, which started in 1996, China chose the remote Beishan region, known for ancient and extremely strong granite rocks formed more than 250m years ago. The construction phase of the project started after permits were granted in 2019.
Deep underground, the laboratory is a complex engineering structure, including, in addition to a spiral tunnel about seven kilometres long, three vertical shafts and two horizontal platforms. Construction at such a depth and in hard granite was fraught with problems. To excavate a steep curved tunnel, a drill shield, Beishan-1 – the largest tunnel boring machine in China – was specially developed by the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology and the China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation.
