"Safe Storage of Low-Level Radioactive Waste with Five-Layer Barriers"... Completion of Near-Surface Disposal Facility at Gyeongju Radioactive Waste Site

Fourteen Years After Project Launch in 2012
20 Disposal Vaults, Safe Even in Magnitude 7.0 Earthquakes
Capacity to Store 125,000 Drums of Low-Level Radioactive Waste
"Significant Step Toward Establishing Long-Term Radioactive Waste Management"

Panoramic view of the Stage 2 disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste in Gyeongju. Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment

The Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency announced on May 13 that they held a completion ceremony for the "Second Stage Near-Surface Disposal Facility," a radioactive waste disposal site located within the Wolsong Nuclear Environment Management Center in Munmu-daewang-myeon, Gyeongju, in the afternoon.

The near-surface disposal facility is designed to safely dispose of low-level or lower radioactive waste, which has relatively low concentrations of radioactivity. It consists of concrete structures installed close to the surface, where radioactive waste is disposed of. The facility has a total of 20 disposal vaults and features a five-layer barrier structure, ensuring safety even in earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 7.0.

Low-level radioactive waste refers to waste with relatively low radioactivity, such as gloves and protective clothing.

The second stage near-surface disposal facility was a project with a total investment of approximately 314.1 billion won. Construction began in 2012 and was completed in December last year, taking about 14 years to finish. The facility received final approval from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on March 16 of this year. The capacity of the facility is 125,000 drums, based on 200-liter drums. The second stage facility is scheduled to begin full-scale operations in the second half of this year.

With the completion of this facility, the Wolsong Nuclear Environment Management Center in Gyeongju is now equipped with facilities capable of disposing of a total of 225,000 drums of waste, by distinguishing between intermediate- and low-level waste. This includes the first stage underground disposal facility, which has been operational since 2015 and can accommodate up to 100,000 drums of intermediate- or lower-level waste, and the newly completed second stage facility.

The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency stated, "With the completion of this facility, we have become the first in the world to operate a complex disposal facility on a single site, combining the existing first stage underground disposal facility and the new second stage near-surface facility. This is highly significant, as it not only enables the safe disposal of the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste currently in temporary storage at nuclear power plants, but also establishes a national long-term management foundation to accommodate the waste generated from the future decommissioning of nuclear power plants."

The Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment explained that with the completion of this second stage disposal facility, they have secured the capacity to dispose of 225,000 drums out of the total 385,000 drums planned for the first to third stages, as outlined in the recently finalized "3rd Basic Plan for the Management of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste."

When the third stage disposal facility, scheduled for completion in 2031 within the Wolsong Nuclear Environment Management Center site, is finished, facilities for the disposal of very low-level radioactive waste will also be secured. The third stage disposal facility is expected to have a disposal capacity of approximately 160,000 drums.

Meanwhile, about 500 people attended the completion ceremony, including representatives from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Commission, North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongju City, related organizations, and local representatives.

The event proceeded with a progress report on the stage two construction project, awards for meritorious contributors, inspections by key guests of the disposal vaults and underground inspection tunnels, and the unveiling of a commemorative stone. In addition, officials from overseas partner institutions, including South Africa, the UAE, Taiwan, and Vietnam, attended to share Korea's technological expertise in radioactive waste facility construction and operation, and to discuss international cooperation strategies.

Cho Seong-don, President of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, said, "The completion of the second stage near-surface disposal facility is a very meaningful milestone in the history of radioactive waste management in Korea," and added,

"We will do our utmost to establish a reliable radioactive waste management system for the public by preparing for the follow-up third stage landfill-type disposal facility and the management foundation for high-level radioactive waste."

Lee Won-joo, Policy Chief for Energy Transition at the Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment, stated, "The safe management of radioactive waste is one of our responsibilities to current and future generations," and added, "Based on the safe operation of the second stage disposal facility, which was constructed with our own technology, we will do our best to ensure that the public can feel reassured about radioactive waste management."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.