Preliminary and detailed design studies for all package disposal systems

The aim of the CIGEO project (Industrial Centre for Geological Disposal) is to provide reversible deep geological disposal of intermediate-level long-lived and high-level radioactive waste (ILW-LL and HLW) from nuclear power generation and research activities.

Cegelec CEM, leading a consortium of three companies in its role as prime contractor for Subsystem 1 – the “nuclear process for handling disposal packages” at the surface and underground – is providing the studies for the preliminary and detailed design of all the systems needed to dispose of the packages. The scope covers loading of the package into the cask at the surface to placement in its final position in the HLW and ILW-LL disposal cells.

This subsystem covers the main functional units below:

• System for transferring and loading ILW-LL and HLW casks at the surface
• System for transferring casks underground
• System for ILW-LL disposal
• System for HLW disposal

This represents 400 000 hours of studies, up to 60 people mobilised on the project platform, 1000 deliverables and one of the biggest French nuclear construction contracts over the next 10 years.

These design studies will form part of the construction licence application (DAC).

Cegelec CEM has provided systems engineering services throughout the project, ensuring compliance with customer requirements:

• Management of requirements, interfaces and configuration
• 3D model
• Nuclear safety
• HSE
• Human and organisational factors
• Construction/estimates