Areas of activity in R&D

Four technical areas of work are included in the 5th R&D Plan:

Waste technology

This area includes activities relating to the physics and chemistry of the different components of radioactive wastes, along with issues relating to the reduction of their toxicity.

The lines of research and development included in this area are as follows:

• Physical-chemical characteristics of actinides and fission products.
• Separation of long-lived radionuclides.
• Transmutation of long-lived radionuclides.

At this facility the wastes remain conditioned and isolated by three engineered barriers for 60 years.

Centralised Temporary Storage (CTS)

This area of the Plan includes all activities relating to spent fuel technology and the technology of the centralised temporary storage facility.

The lines of research and development included in this area are as follows:

• Characterisation of spent fuel: behaviour, evolution, interaction with materials, etc.
• Support for the centralised temporary storage facility: prototypes, materials, demonstration, etc.

Assessment of long-term behaviour

This area encompasses various activities aimed at acquiring and extending knowledge and technology in relation to the long-term safety of storage facilities.

• Long-term behaviour of engineered barriers.
• Long-term behaviour of geological barriers.
• Long-term behaviour of radionuclides in the biosphere.
• Safety assessment methodologies.

Support for facilities

The research and development carried out at Enresa refers also to existing industrial applications, optimising performance, reducing costs and improving safety.

The following courses of action will continue at the El Cabril facility in relation to very low level and low and intermediate level wastes:

• Durability
• Characterisation
• Volume reduction

Knowledge management and coordination

A 5th area addresses the coordination, integration and management of all research and development activities. The objectives are to ensure the coordination of projects, integrate their results and transfer them to the receivers.

Scientific-technological dissemination is another of the activities integrated into this area, the ultimate aim of which is to serve as an internal aid for the efficient development of R&D.