Sweden’s Studsvik has signed an agreement with European Spallation Source (ESS), a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) under construction in Lund. Studsvik will manage radioactive waste from ESS. When the facility is completed in 2028, it is expected to be the world’s leading accelerator-based neutron source for studying the structure and behaviour of matter.
Studsvik will design and licence two advanced facilities for handling radioactive waste. One is based on Studsvik’s patented inDRUM technology for managing and reducing the volume of contaminated waste, and the other comprises an interim storage facility with an associated pool for handling intermediate-level waste. The construction and operation of the facilities at Studsvik are contingent upon additional agreements being signed at a later stage.
“Following the completion of feasibility studies, we have decided to move forward with Studsvik in developing inDRUM and the interim storage solution,” said ESS Director General Helmut Schober. “Studsvik will thereby be a key partner for managing the waste generated at our facility. For example, the inDRUM technology can reduce the volume of certain types of waste by up to 90%. This not only reduces our future environmental impact but also our final disposal costs.”
The European Spallation Source ERIC (ESS) is a multidisciplinary research facility currently under construction outside Lund, Sweden, with its data and software centre located near Copenhagen, Denmark. Around 3,000 researchers are expected to use ESS each year. Sweden and Denmark are the host countries of ESS, which is co-funded by 13 European states.
