Studies for the Advisory Board

The Austrian Board for Radioactive Waste Management has already commissioned a number of studies during this mandate, which are considered necessary as a basis for making decision for further steps. These are summarized in the table below. At the end of the mandate, the results of the studies will be published on this page.

This study comprises an inventory of radioactive waste generated in Austria and reflects the inventory of conditioned waste temporarily stored at the Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH in Seibersdorf on behalf of the Republic of Austria. Specifically, it addresses the origin of the raw waste as well as its treatment and reprocessing. The inventory is given by the amount of finished conditioned waste until 2022 and predicted for the year 2045¹, sorted by selected criteria (classification, half-lives, (restricted) clearance until 2045, type of conditioning, reduction/minimization possibilities). Likewise, the study contains the current activity inventory including decay calculations for the next 300 and 1000 years. To support the planning of a future repository, the volume requirement for a hypothetical repository was estimated for the identified waste inventory (based on common containers of international repositories).

Study execution/report preparation: Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH

¹ The date at which it is supposed to be transferred to a final repository according to the current situation

This basic study comprises an analysis of all legal framework conditions for radioactive waste management with a focus on the relevance of the individual standards for the site selection proccess for a final repository for radioactive waste. Legal gaps are identified and legal recommendations for action are elaborated. In addition, the interaction of the individual legal elements of the procedure is discussed.

Study execution/report preparation: Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) - Institute for Environmental Law

This study presents all radioecologically relevant processes that influence the behavior of radionuclides. Radiological, mechanical, microbial, hydraulic and chemical processes as well as the mobilization of radionuclides are mapped.  In addition, scientific and technical methods for calculating or estimating the long-term behavior of radioactive substances in and around the repository are presented and their reliability is discussed. In addition, calculation methods for the dispersion of radioactive substances (via water or air) are presented.

Study execution/report preparation: University of Vienna - Institute for Isotope Physics VERA),  Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety GmbH

The study includes a comprehensive description of all safety requirements relevant for final disposal. These include, among others, the requirements for waste, conditioning matrix, casks and containers, requirements for the construction of the repository, requirements for transport, requirements for repository operation, requirements for the closure of the repository, the post-operational phase and decommissioning, as well as requirements for the infrastructure. Furthermore, possible external and internal impacts on repositories are highlighted and quality assurance and quality control, safety case and verification are discussed in more detail.

Study execution/report preparation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna - Institute of Safety and Risk Sciences, Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH, Technical University of Vienna- Center for Labelling and Isotope Production, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety GmbH

The study includes a presentation of the options available today for repository technology to be used and a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the different options on the scale of defined safety criteria. In addition, the expected costs of the different options (including multinational formats) are estimated based on foreign experience.

Study execution/report preparation: Institute for Applied Ecology, Darmstadt

The aim of this exploratory study is to provide the Advisory Board with insights into what people in Austria need or want to know in order to be able to take part in the debate about the final disposal of radioactive waste. This study is not about creating acceptance, but about improving the decision-making process and making it more qualitative. For this purpose, focus groups are being formed in different cities in which participants are asked about the topic of radioactive waste. The text and image documentation will then be transcribed, processed and evaluated. The results will be used, among other things, in the development of a participation concept, which will be drawn up by the Advisory Board as part of the mandate.

Study implementation/report preparation: Environment Agency Austria

Based on international experience and rules, this study develops site selection criteria for the final disposal of radioactive waste according to the current state of science and technology as well as a procedure for their application. In addition to the scientific criteria, the site selection criteria should also include, in accordance with current practice, the social, ecological, economic, landscape planning and affected foreign policy concerns. Favorable and unfavorable site conditions are discussed and exclusion criteria defined. Furthermore, a proposal for a selection procedure is being developed.

Study implementation/report preparation: Awarding and implementation will take place in spring 2023.