The Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) project in Britain, which aims to store the country’s growing amount of radioactive waste, has become the most expensive and lengthy major infrastructure project. Scientists at the Nuclear Waste Service (NWS), in charge of the project’s design, estimate that it will take over 150 years to complete at a total cost of $83 billion.
The volume of radioactive waste alone requires space equal to 8 Albert Hall auditoriums. The cave complex would need to be even larger to include additional tunnels, requiring the excavation of twice the volume of rock. The radioactive waste includes 110,000 tonnes of uranium, 6,000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel, and around 120 tonnes of plutonium.
The GDF is expected to be larger once waste from future nuclear power plants is considered. British authorities are still deliberating on the location for the GDF, with potential sites narrowed down to two off the coast of Lincolnshire and Cumbria. The plan involves digging tunnels deep under the sea to create silos in impermeable clay and mudstone where the waste will be stored.
Without a proper storage solution, the sustainability of the nuclear industry is at stake according to experts in the field. Local environmental organizations are raising concerns and organizing protests against potential GDF sites citing negative impact on tourism in areas like Mablethorpe and Copeland. This underscores challenges associated with managing nuclear waste sustainably and responsibly.