What facilities does the repository need and what work is still required before it can be constructed, operated and sealed? Nagra’s so-called Waste Management Programme answers these and other questions. An update is published every five years. The report is reviewed by the federal authorities – namely the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the Commission for Nuclear Safety (NSC). In a final step, the Federal Council must approve the Waste Management Programme. In connection with this, it sets out conditions that Nagra must fulfil in the coming years and identifies issues for further investigation.
The federal authorities took a positive view of the 2021 Waste Management Programme and gave Nagra good feedback. They also recommend that the Federal Council define certain conditions: for example, Nagra’s next Waste Management Programme should include a packaging and transport concept for the radioactive waste from the encapsulation plant to the deep geological repository. In addition, Nagra must detail the progress it made in its RD&D programme, including experiments that were unsuccessful or discontinued.
Every five years, Nagra uses the Waste Management Programme to report on the current status of the project of the century of deep geological disposal and the next steps to be taken. The Federal Council then assesses Nagra’s report and sets out conditions to be met over the next five years, thereby actively regulating Nagra’s work.
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